Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Summer 2019 Research STEM Past Review

By (Brandeis University) - abroad from 06/24/2019 to 08/03/2019 with

Arcadia: London - STEM Summer Research - London

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I really appreciated trying to live on a student budget and gaining lab 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.

This program was great because it offered a lot of hands on experience. However, the rigor may be different for students applying to this program because everyone gets assigned a different project with a different PI. The PI may be really hands-on, or there might be a lot of grad students and post docs that do the work and ask you to help assist them. I lucked out and my PI let me do a lot of the experiments. Because it was the summer, there were no grad students and post docs, so it was very one-on-one. Additionally, were also a lot of resources offered at the college where the lab was based.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Royal Veterinary College was very supportive, provided great resources, and communicated effectively.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I really liked how our housing was in the city-ish area. There were a lot of grocery shops, stores, and restaurants near by. What was great was the nearby tube/bus stations. The rooms and facilities in Thoresby were well kept.

* Food:

It was easy to find vegetarian/vegan options. However, I felt very hungry. There wasn't anything that was really satisfying and could possibly be because the American diet is so different - includes more sodium and sugars.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Going to west end to see broadway shows or hitting up picadily circus to watch a comedy show was super cool. We went to a lot of pubs as well, but my interaction with locals was not that much. I tried to do a homestay over the weekend, but when Arcadia sent out information about that, the spots had already filled up.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

It felt pretty safe. However my friend on the program would've said otherwise. She was not expecting the cat calling. However, it's more prominent in the EU than UK.

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

I was thankful for the research experience and gleaning new skills, but London was very expensive and the overall cost for the program (which did not cover transportation or meals) was too much out of pocket.

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)

It was very hard living on a student budget in London because it's so expensive there.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? More than $400
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Meal prep for weeks. Walk or use the bus to work instead of the tube because the bus is cheaper than the tube

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

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Other
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?
  • Meeting new people
  • research
* What could be improved?
  • Knowing where to allocate tuition money
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I planned out my weekends

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!