Unforgettable England/London Adventure! Past Review
By Megan M (Drama, Theatre Arts, University of Wisconsin - LaCrosse) - abroad from 01/13/2015 to 05/29/2015 with
UW-Platteville Education Abroad at St Mary's University (SMU)
I learned independence and how to fend for myself. I know I am able to make decisions on my own because I did it abroad, especially travelling to other countries via air plane alone.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Beautiful school, nice community, and just a short train ride to central London. Classes are generally less intensive abroad than I am used to here in the states, but that gives you more time to see the area and spend time in London. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
|
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Dorms are decent considering you get a room and a bathroom to yourself. |
| * Food: |
Lets face it, school food is never really that good no matter where you are. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
|
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I never had issues, but the people who did weren't given much help on campus because they were abroad students. They were forced to get a cab on their own and go to the nearest emergency room when all they needed was a brief check up. |
| * Safety: |
One of the safest areas in the grander London area. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
|
Finances
|
* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
If one stuck to the basic school food you could easily not spend very much at all, but after a few weeks, the food wasn't satisfying enough. Then because you are on a point system and can only use those points at certain times of the day, many including myself ended up defaulting on buying more (better tasting) food. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Maybe $100 or more a week. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Find the nearest Poundland for snack foods. It's like a dollar store, but the pound (obviously). Stock up your room with foods that will last a couple days. Refrigeration isn't a very appealing option in the dorms so apples or nuts. Things that you can grab when you are hungry and it's not a "meal" time. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Time goes by faster than you think. If you want to do things, plan them and do them. Don't wait to do it later! |
