London was the best part of UCL Past Review

By Evelyn T (Economics, Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/12/2015 to 06/12/2015 with

University College London (UCL): London - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

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

Mostly, I gained wonderful experiences with new people and in terrific places. The travelling was by far the best part, aside from living in London. I had so much fun in London and on trips.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	Professors were not very good, classes weren't organized very well, I took a class taught by a grad student, there was no support for students. However, I did still like my classes and I did learn stuff.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	Most disorganized, useless administration ever. Their registration is done BY HAND.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	Great housing! I applied early so I got the best housing but overall every study abroad student was pleased with their accommodation. Very expensive but that's central London. Also you live with first years which is terrible but if you have a single it's bearable.
* Food:
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	I did a lot of London things, but with only study abroad students, which I was alright with but other people might not be.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	Perfect - way better than the US.
* Safety:	Safest city I've ever been in/lived in. It was a truly wonderful, liberating experience to be able to walk home, in the middle of the night (or take a night bus) and not be scared. Also no cat calling (not even once!!) my entire time there and everyone was extremely polite (no staring either) on the buses, trains, streets, anywhere. It was so lovely.
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 found it very easy, but I've been budgeting my money since I was very young. The groceries aren't actually any more expensive in London (only thing that isn't) so if you're good at grocery shopping in the US, you'll do fine. I never ate out due to laziness, only for social engagements, which was helpful.
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	Probably <50 pounds a week.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Cook all your own food and cook cheaply. It's a skill very few people know apparently, and it saved me thousands of dollars compared to other people I know.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	No

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

* Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university?	Direct Enrollment

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?	0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?	Living in London Travelling Making friends
* What could be improved?	Administration Professors
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	I wish I knew how little I would be working on school work. I chose this program because I thought it would be academically rigorous and it wasn't that challenging. That said, I did learn quite a bit, and I enjoyed my classes for the most part, and I would choose to study at UCL again.

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 Academic or Linguist You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Dynamic Industrial Organization
Course Department:	Economics
Instructor:	Vasiliki Skreta
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This was a TERRIBLE class. Do not take it. She was unfortunately a really bad professor, although she seems like a good researcher, and was clearly trying very hard after previous bad reviews. It was just awful. After Wellesley I didn't even know how bad a course could be - this course showed me just how grateful I should be for the classes at Wellesley.
Credit Transfer Issues:	No.