Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

The Global Citizens Program gave me an entirely new perspective on the world Past Review

By (Business Finance, Villanova University) - abroad from 01/09/2012 to 04/28/2012 with

Villanova University: London or Singapore - Global Citizens Program

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It was an experience of a lifetime. Between living in London, traveling, gaining valuable work experience, and taking classes in an international setting, I can't think of a better way to spend 4 months. It was very rewarding to experience foreign cultures first hand and to then put in the time to understand why certain cultural trends exist. The information that I learned in this process can be applied to international business, politics, and has many other useful applications.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

British Life and Culture was a standout--the best class I have ever taken as I head into my sophomore year. I would recommend it to anyone

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

EUSA could have used more common sense when enforcing UKBA regulations

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Outstanding location, cleaned weekly, spacious (especially considering normal London accommodations), functional kitchen

* Food:

Food was expensive. Cooking is the cheapest option and can be great if you know what you're doing

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

British Life and Culture and other classes did a great job of helping us understand the culture we were living in. Also, when we returned to our flat after a trip, we felt that we were home

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I cannot comment because I did not need to use the UK's healthcare system (NHS)

* Safety:

Always felt safe in the neighborhood we lived in (South Kensington) and almost always felt comfortable in the other parts of London

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)

London is a very expensive city (especially considering the exchange rate) and traveling costs add up quickly. However, it was worth every penny.

* Was housing included in your program cost? Yes
* Was food included in your program cost? No
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? On average, I spent around $300 a week (includes food, travel, gifts, 3 concerts, etc.)
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Cooking minimizes food costs

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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?
  • I was able to live in one of the best cities in the world for 4 months.
  • I gained an inconceivable amount of experience and knowledge through my travels, classes, and internship.
  • I formed some great friendships in the process.
* What could be improved?
  • I think EUSA should use more common sense when adhering to the UKBA regulations
  • It would've been helpful if we were given more advice about traveling to other countries.
  • I wish we took a class or two with British students so that we had an easy way of making British friends our own age.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? There is one clear social advantage of choosing this program: you form close friendships while in London that you did not have before. Therefore, when you return to campus, you'll have your friend group(s) from first semester as well as your GCP friends.