London: Good friends, good books, good beer! Past Review
By Riley S (English-creative writing, Western State College of Colorado) for
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: London, England
I learned just how small the world is, and also the importance of our global community. My cultural awareness has expanded; all people are intrinsically the same and seek the same things in life. Knowing how we are all so closely tied together has made me want to see even more of the world.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
What can i say about English schooling? In one word... 'whoa'. The system really makes you take responsibility for your own learning. The workload, at least for an English major, is quite heavy. You have to be extremely diligent in allocating time to read, do research, and write. Organization is imperative. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Westminster can be rough. Getting things taken care of can take a long while. However, the faculty are always ready to help. They have a pretty good idea of how we American students operate. The size of the program is average, nothing a good student cant handle. My expectations were met. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Housing is easy to take care of. However, being 21 and far removed from the American freshman experience made the dorms kind of a nuisance. There is not a lot of space, and the noise frequently stays up until early in the morning. I couldnt do homework at all. |
| * Food: |
I didnt get food on campus. Ever. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Trips. Trips. Trips. Go on them. Seeing another country's culture is exhilarating and a phenomenal learning experience. Remember, life is too short to care about anything, so go out there and see the world. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I stayed healthy on my own accord. Watch out for bikes. And mind the gap. Stay safe. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* 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) |
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Language
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Forget home ever existed. Fully immerse yourself. If you are the kind of person that enjoys the unfamiliar, get here now. |
