Fabulous London semester Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Classes were small (5-9 students) and many were discussion based. All of the professors were British and focused on helping us to understand their culture along with the course subjects. There are some especially great professors who went out of their way to make our experience as fulfilling as possible. One of my theatre professors took us to many extra shows, brought professionals into the classroom, and took us to a homeless centre to work on Shakespeare with the homeless. A couple of my classes were not engaging and didn’t meet the standards of what I’m used to at Whitman. They were not challenging enough and often times we would not discuss any of the readings we were asked to do outside of class. This was only an issue with two of my five classes, but other students noticed it in their classes as well.

On-site administration of your program

The administrative staff were very helpful and wanted to help us make the most of our experience in London by suggesting places to explore and the best local hangouts. They were also kind and understanding if there was an issue with housing or homesickness.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Nido is a fairly new building and looks very modern. The rooms are teeny tiny, you share a sleeping space and teeny bathroom, but that is how almost all accommodations are in London. Each floor has a communal kitchen, there is a movie screening room, a café where you can get pre-made sandwiches or pasta, a wii, and an expensive laundry room. Each room comes with pots, pans, dishes, and cutlery and it was easy, so it was easy to make food in the kitchen. There is an Italian restaurant built into the dorm, but it is expensive and there is no student discount. The staff was less than helpful. In fact, they were very rude, but I didn’t have to deal with them too often. The locations is the best part of Nido Kings Cross. Kings Cross stations has a lot of tube lines and is fairly central. On the tube it takes 10 minutes to get to class, 15 minutes to get to the west end, and usually no more than 35 minutes to get anywhere in the first 2 zones. I was a 6 minute walk from Kings cross, a 20 minute walk to school and the British Museum, a 15 minute walk to the British Library. The area used to be really run down and sleazy, but it’s becoming a kind of artsy area and is really close to a cute neighborhood with a lot of good pubs, food and shopping called Angel.

I ate lunch close to IES at cafés and grab and go places like Pret a Manger or Gregs where sandwiches are between 3 and 7 pounds. If I went out to an Indian restaurant or something fun like that it was between 10 and 15 pounds. Eating out is very expensive in London if you don’t find the right places, but worth it every now and then.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

IES allows for a lot of time to explore London and provides a lot of information about British culture and how to fit in. A British IES student leader gave us tips on where to meet people, which pubs are friendly, and where to see live bands. The internship program also allows students to integrate themselves into the culture and make connections with Brits in the work force.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I had a friend who had a medical emergency and had to go to the hospital. It was very expensive, but IES was very helpful in giving her instructions and scheduling appointments.

As with any big city you have to be careful where you go, when, and with whom, but I felt safe in London. If you are going somewhere at night walk with a friend just so you feel comfortable.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

London is an expensive place.

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• Apartment

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• International Students

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• Americans

• Internship at The Actors Center
• Time to explore London
• IES field trips

• Certain courses
• Housing staff
• Housing facilities

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