Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

A wonderful experience in London with AHA International. Past Review

By (International and Intercultural Communication., Western Washington University) - abroad from 06/23/2013 to 07/27/2013 with

GEO: London -Study Abroad Programs in London

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It was totally worthwhile to be able to experience another culture for an extended period of time. I really enjoyed all the excursions and the freedom of traveling and learning from places, artifacts, and people.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The educational experience was challenging and tedious, but I would have liked to learn more about journalism, as that is what we were there to do.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The dorms were okay, but there was no air conditioning making it extremely hot and humid. There was mold in the bathrooms and rooms.

* Food:

The food was terrible. I often found mold and such on yogurt, meat, etc.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

n/a

* Safety:

We had a few police officers come in and teach us about safety in the area we lived in.

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 much more expensive than the US, so naturally I was going to spend more on food and personal expenses. However it would have helped a lot if the food at the dorms weren't so terrible.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 200+
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Remember the exchange rate... it can be fooling!

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
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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?
  • The excursions
  • The staff at AHA
  • The price was great
* What could be improved?
  • Food
  • Living arrangments
  • Times for classes and length
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? You really don't need to bring as much as you think you do

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 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.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Arts Journalism
Course Department: Communications
Instructor: Chris
Instruction Language: English
Comments: We mad many field trips that really enhanced the experience, however the classroom was lecture-based and often very hard to sit through 5 hours at a time.
Credit Transfer Issues: no
Course Name/Rating:

Sports Journalism
Course Department: Communications
Instructor: Dan Travis
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This course was definitely challenging- we had many long journalistic pieces that we had to do on different sporting matches we attended. The field trips were fun and interesting, but I would have liked to learn more about sports journalism, not just sport.
Credit Transfer Issues: no