Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Loving London Past Review

By (University of Wisconsin - Platteville) - abroad from 09/04/2018 to 12/16/2018 with

UW-Platteville Education Abroad at St Mary's University (SMU)

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I gained a lot of cultural awareness and I learned how to work with many different people from different backgrounds so it was very worthwhile in my opinion

Review Photos

UW-Platteville Education Abroad at St Mary's University (SMU) Photo

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The lecturers were very helpful but the classes didn't teach me much, too much emphasis on writing papers.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

There was a lot of support on campus if you needed it, but once when I reached out about a roommate problem I was simply handed off to a different person and nothing was fixed.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The houses were very old and not maintained very well, also random roommate pairings didn't turn out that well for some.

* Food:

Campus food was not great.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The culture was great, very close to London so I really felt like a true Brit once I learned my way around.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Healthcare is NOT free even with insurance, had to pay to talk to a nurse about small issues.

* Safety:

Always felt very safe as long as I was aware of people around me.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

I loved London, but I would like to experience other places in the world.

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)

We had to pay extra for lunch but if you were smart it wasn't hard to maintain a good budget.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $40
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Use cash when going to the club so you limit yourself and set a budget each week if you aren't good at keeping track yourself.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
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?
  • The people
  • Ability to travel to other places easily
  • The culture
* What could be improved?
  • The transition when arriving
  • More social activities
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Exchange money before leaving, because it was stressful to do when first arriving.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you.
The Avid Adventurer
The wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal.