An incredible semester of traveling throughout Europe Past Review

By Jacqueline J (Finance, International Business, Villanova University) - abroad from 01/06/2014 to 04/26/2015 with

Villanova University: London or Singapore - Global Citizens Program

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

I learned how to be independent, live on my own, travel and do the things I want to do. I got to see so many amazing places across Europe and the UK. London is my favorite city in the world now. Definitely worthwhile.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	An incredible experience. I was able to travel all around Europe on the weekends. I learned so much about London and really feel like I can call the city home. However, the program could be improved through a better integration with a local university instead of having courses at EUSA and the internship placement process could be made better.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	EUSA was incredibly helpful at all times. However, internship placement process definitely has room for improvement.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	We lived in the best part of London. Super affluent neighborhood, residential, and still close to major London sights. Apartments were super tiny but efficient.
* Food:	You have an apartment with a kitchen so you cook your own food. A great life skill to acquire although sometimes time-consuming. Shop at Tesco for cheap groceries.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	I definitely felt like I made London my home, especially through working at an internship and meeting locals through that. However, it was difficult to meet local university students since our program was kind of an American bubble.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	A friend received treatment at a hospital free of charge, they have universal free healthcare in the UK and it is quite good from what I hear
* Safety:	We lived in the safest and wealthiest area 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)	I spent a lot of money on food, transportation, and sightseeing/travel. However, I was not trying to stick to a budget so perhaps I could have spent less.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Make sure to budget for the big international trips you want to take. Weekend travel gets expensive with flights, hostels, sightseeing tickets, etc. Still splurge on the trips, but make sure you realize they can be expensive.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Dorm Apartment
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Local Students Americans International Students
* 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?	Ability to travel on weekends Living in a great part of an incredible city Internship is definitely a beneficial experience that improves ones' resume
* What could be improved?	It would have been better to take courses at a local university instead of EUSA More integration into local community More uniform, fair, and American-style grading procedures
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	There are so many cool places to visit all over Europe, the UK, and London. Never waste a day, always try to squeeze in some adventures everyday. The program is over quickly so maximize every moment.

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.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	British Life and Culture
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Comments:	Really interesting course where I learned so much about British culture. Not really an equivalent of ACS Moderns but still an incredibly worthwhile course. The professor was a little difficult with grading though, barely anyone got an A.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Business Dynamics II
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Instructor:	Jichev
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Comments:	Course material did not really follow what we were learning in Business Dynamics I at Villanova although we still learned interesting things. We had two cool excursions during class time too, one to the Olympic Park. Assessments seemed to be graded arbitrarily.
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Course Name/Rating:	Business in British Society
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Instructor:	Thornhill
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Comments:	This course was a great capstone course to draw together our understanding of life in the UK with our internship experience. The course was structured around a 10-page paper that analyzed our internship experience. It was helpful in reflecting and processing the entire experience. We learned interesting things on British politics, economics, business, and culture in the beginning. I would have liked to continue learning such topics and spend less in-class time on the paper.
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Course Name/Rating:	Macroeconomics
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Comments:	I feel like I learned more about European economics than Macroeconomics in this course. Did not really learn all the macroeconomic theories that should normally have been covered although definitely learned a lot about the economies of European countries.
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