The Canterbury Shore Crew Past Review

By (N/A, Illinois State University) for

Canterbury Christ Church University: Canterbury - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Of course! I wish I could go back and do it all over again everyday!! This experience has definitely changed my future plans because I have caught the "travel bug". I know I want to travel as much as possible and see as many places as I can during my lifetime because there are so many wonderful things out there too precious not to see and experience.

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.

It was stressful not being able to choose our courses until we got over to England. I enjoyed writing papers for my grades, but I did not like how every course I took had their papers due the same week and the papers were our entire grade.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The host school was not very organized.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The flats were much smaller than I expected and not in the best condition.

* Food:

English food was not very flavorful. To save money, I bought a lot of cheap convenient foods to prepare in my flat such as frozen pizzas and pasta. Therefore, the food was not my favorite part about the experience, except for when I visited other countries.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The group of friends that I made was incredible. I expected to become friends with the people I met, but I did not expect to get as close as we did. We are like a family now.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

I always felt safe on my street, and I never had any serious health issues when I went over there. I would recommend to get all of the shots suggested before going to your host country.

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? Probably about 50-100 on average per week
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? There weren't really any unexpected expenses, but be aware of exchange rates when taking out money. Take out large quantities of money from the ATM at a time because international ATM rates will add up if you take out small amounts of money really often.

Language

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? None

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

  • Apartment
  • Hostel
* Who did you live with?

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

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A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? If you have the opportunity to study here or anywhere, DO IT!! Studying abroad is the chance of a lifetime and it will offer your so many opportunities and experiences that you could never dream of doing at your home institution. Make sure you open your mind to new experiences and new friends and you will have a blast!