Best decision I ever made Past Review
By Alexa Curt (Williams College) - abroad from 09/06/2016 to 12/17/2016 with
IES Abroad: London - Study London
I learned how to go with the flow and how to solve serious problems in a calm and productive manner. I learned how to manage an extremely tight budget and how to have fun while doing it .
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. |
Academic rigor was not super intense, but the education was amazing in different ways. The professors understood we were abroad for more than just attending classes and would always suggest places to go or give overall advice on how to maneuver London (especially with how expensive of a city it is). The professors were incredible and are a part of many of my favorite memories while abroad. They find a great balance between academic learning and life learning. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Extremely helpful and very kind |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Very! The apartment was so nice and in such a central location. The security was very thorough and I always felt safe. |
| * Food: |
I cooked all of my own meals, which was sometimes frustrating with the communal kitchen but always manageable. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| 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) |
London is a VERY expensive city because it is a huge city and because of the exchange rate. Eating out was not an option for me so I cooked my own meals and was very frugal when grocery shopping. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $75 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Shop at Tesco or Lidl, not Waitrose! And cook as much as you can. Eating out is very expensive. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| 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? |
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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? | Everything will work out and not to stress about the little things that seems so big in the moment. |
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 UrbaniteA 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. |
