Small Girl in Big City! February 06, 2023

By (Neuroscience and Psychology, Brandeis University) - abroad from 09/24/2022 to 12/17/2022 with

IFSA: London - University College London

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I think I had to learn how to spend a lot of time with myself and getting comfortable with exploring and going on my own adventures without waiting on other people. I also learned so much history about the U.K. by taking classes outside my field and also just by walking around the city.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The U.K. system is slightly different from what I'm used to in my home institution. Instead of weekly assignments and assessments to keep me on track, I only had to submit one essay at the end of the term for each of my classes. It took a lot of adjusting and self-discipline to do these essays as I often had to do a lot of my own research. Most of my classes were very interesting, however in the neuroscience field at UCL, these courses were mostly led by guest lectures with a new instructor every week. Because of this, I felt like there wasn't a lot of structure to the course and these classes didn't benefit me for the essay that I had to submit at the end of the term, since the content would be slightly unrelated.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The administration were very helpful in the beginning as I met with one of the biosciences administrators to talk about my courses for the term. However, for the rest of the term, there weren't any check in's.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I really enjoyed my living arrangements as I had a single en-suite room. I would have wished to have had more study abroad students in my accommodation to connect to. I did have a large shared kitchen space that I shared with a couple of girls on my floor, however it was oftentimes hard to find time when the kitchen was unoccupied as often the kitchen area was used more as a common or studying space.

* Food:

Because I had a kitchen in my accommodation, I had to cook my own food and buy my own groceries. There was only one time where I went to the UCL refectory and I had a good experience.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Because London is such a diverse city, I had the opportunity to try different foods and cuisines. I also had the chance to go on a weekend trip to Wales through IFSA which allowed me to learn about Welsh history and visit historical places. The Fifa World Cup was also happening while I was in London and it was really exciting to go to watch parties and see the England team participate in the World Cup.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I did get COVID at the very beginning of my study abroad experience, but the regulations in the U.K. were very loose so I simply isolated. Medication was very accessible at drug stores, but I was never in a situation where I needed emergency services. There was a time where I sought out therapy for mental health issues and the IFSA team helped to set me up with a provider.

* Safety:

London is a major city with a lot of tourists therefore there can be a lot of theft. However, the biggest advice I would give other students is to try to put your phone away while walking (preferably in a front pocket) so that you can be aware of your surroundings. Especially, as I would hear about instances where bikers would snatch phones from pedestrians. There were a few times I would walk home alone at night, but I wasn't worried because the tube station was a short walk to my accommodation and there were still plenty of people around at night.

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)

Because London is an expensive city, it was hard to budget my money especially when trying to figure out the conversion rates. My expenses included food (groceries and eating out), transportation, buying things for my dorm room, kitchenware, excursions, and miscellaneous items.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $80
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Keep in mind conversion rates. I tried to do my shopping towards the end of my program so that I could have an idea of how much to spend. Try to cook meals with other people so that you can split the cost of groceries.

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

  • Local Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • Right in the center of the city
  • Flexibility to take courses outside my field
  • My accommodation
* What could be improved?
  • The people in my accommodation
  • More excursions outside the city
  • More clarity on departure dates (I could have left a few days later)
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? At first it was really hard to navigate the city, but I wish I would have reminded myself that it's a process and that I was doing the best I could with the resources I had.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

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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.