Worth every pound. Past Review

By (Film Studies, American Studies, Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/04/2013 to 05/24/2013 with

King's College London: London - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Just living abroad was great. The Wellesley community, while great, can feel so small sometimes, and it was absolutely fantastic to live in a big city. I never realized before I went abroad how much I needed it and I feel like I've gotten so much more independent from the experience.

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.

King's was fairly challenging academically, but it is hard to compete with the level of rigor required for Wellesley.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The area where I lived, Hampstead, was beautiful and safe. Unfortunately, it was also very outside Central London, so I had to take a bus and the tube to get to class everyday, making my journey about 40 minutes each way. Others had a ten minute walk.

* Food:

I loved cooking for myself, but probably not everyone will.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I mostly hung out with other study abroad students (which is understandable), but the King's students that lived on my floor were very friendly and we would sometimes cook together.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

I felt very safe living in London. Of course there are times when you need to be cautious, but having my bus home be crowded at 3AM made me feel a lot better than had it have been empty.

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 expensive, that's for sure.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? Around $80.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Spend money on traveling, not shopping. But have fun, you are only going to study abroad once, and it's ok if you spend some money!

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

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International 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?
  • I met some great people.
  • I got to visit places I had never been before.
  • I was able to take classes that I never would have been able to take at Wellesley.
* What could be improved?
  • King's better organization.
  • I wish I had lived closer to Central London.
  • I wish I had been able to connect to more local students.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I really felt prepared going. You just have to have an open mind and believe that you are gonna have a great experience.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

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The Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.