Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

A Semester to Remember Past Review

By (Health Practice and Policy, Providence College) - abroad from 09/01/2015 to 12/19/2015 with

IES Abroad: London & Oxford - Health Practice & Policy

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I gained a lot of independence while I was abroad. It was definitely worth while. It forced me to go outside my comfort zone and I learned a lot about myself.

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.

The classes are all really interesting and the course load isn't bad other than for Oxford

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Extremely welcoming

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Not the greatest, but had all you needed and the location was great

* Food:

No meal plan so you are required to either cook or go out to eat.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

How integrated you are is up to you!!

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I did have to go see a physician while in London. The whole process was very easy and IES was very helpful and accommodating and made being sick in a foreign country not so scary.

* Safety:

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 expensive!! But I did not spend as much as I was thinking I was going to.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $50-$100
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Don't buy too many groceries because things go bad pretty quickly. So I went every week. I tried to limit going out-both to eat and out to clubs because that can get really expensive!

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

  • Local Students
  • Americans
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?
  • Location
  • Friendliess
  • Courses
* What could be improved?
  • Oxford
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? That the Oxford class does not start until half way through the semester so that I could have planned trips prior to arriving.

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!