Life in London: A New Perspective Past Review

By (Mathematics, Ursinus College) for

IFSA: London - University College London

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Well, as I said in my course description, I'm now writing an honors thesis at my home university based on the British Constitution and what I learned in Professor Hazell's class. I am much more experienced as a traveler and thus am more confident in my abilities to go places on my own than I have been. I was able to see family I had never met and was able to do things I never thought I would have been able to do. I understand what it is like to live on your own and the challenges that come with entering an entirely new area without anyone to fall back on (of course, your family will always be there, but it was not as though I could return to them for a weekend while the Atlantic Ocean separated us). I appreciate foreign cultures much more than I did previously, and realize that the United States is not alone in this closely connected world, and that we should all respect such an international system.

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.

At my host university I experienced a different type of learning and grading system than I was normally used to in the United States. I did enjoy it - they allowed for greater freedom to explore what you were personally interested in, however the lack of constant assignments sometimes made it easy to fall behind on readings. The workload depended on different classes - some professors gave too much, some too little, and others just about right. Personally, I was not fond of the grading system; I'm too used to having different aspects such as participation and quizzes factor into my grade. Each class I took in my host university only had two essays to determine my class grade, and I'm not fond of that, since you may end up not doing so well on an essay and then doing worse in the class than you probably should have done.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The host country program administration was incredibly friendly and always willing to help students who needed assistance. I contacted them with a problem with my host university, and they helped me try and find a solution, which I greatly appreciated.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I was situated in Camden Town, and I really enjoyed the community there. At first I was dismayed because of how far it was from the campus, but I ended up liking the lengthy walk because it allowed me to explore the streets of London more than I otherwise would have. I did need to buy sheets and everything upon my arrival to the dorm, but overall it was a very friendly place and my floormates became my closest friends while abroad.

* Food:

My dorm food was not the best (though I am an incredibly picky eater), and we only received two meals a day (one of which was usually during my classes and so early that I never got up for it), but all of that allowed me to explore cooking more than I otherwise would have, and I was very happy with that. I did not really dine out anywhere, but always go with friends!

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The program offered a weekend in Wales, which I was told was excellent, but I unfortunately did not get to go because I had prior plans for that weekend. However, I was in London for the Royal Wedding, and that day was exciting and excellent and the best cultural experience that I had. I had a blast just standing on The Mall with random people all excited to see Prince William and Catherine get married that day!

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

I got sick one time while abroad and was able to easily access health care through my host university. The wait was slightly longer than you would experience in the US, but I did not mind, seeing as it was free and all I needed was a quick look at my throat. I found London safer than any big city that I've been to in the United States, though my recommendation is - as always - to always travel with someone, especially at night. If you have to travel alone, make sure you know where you're going; looking like a local and not a tourist will always get you into less trouble.

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)

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students
  • Local Students

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Get things done early, I often did stuff at the last minute and ended up having to pay more than I otherwise would have.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

International Development and Public Policy

Course Department: POLS6007
Instructor: Niheer Dasandi
Instruction Language: English
Comments: An enjoyable class; the professor was very well-informed (though some of the subject material could be rather upsetting at times). Offered much time for discussion and debate. Challenging and offered a new perspective on a topic I never really thought of previously.
Credit Transfer Issues: None at this time.
Course Name/Rating:

Applied Global Citizenship

Course Department: ANTH7016
Instructor: Jennifer Randall
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Taking this class was a huge mistake. I took it thinking that I was going to get an internship in a timely manner, and instead I left England without getting any internship at all after paying $500 for a work visa. Unless you're an anthropology major or are interested in anthropology, I recommend skipping over this course; as a politics major I found myself often bored (plus I have a different way of looking at things than anthropologists tend to have, so I butted heads quite a bit). The class involved scattered topics with no actual theme to connect them, so every week felt like something completely new, rather than a continuation of a course. The professor also assigned gross amounts of readings, many of which I did not find interesting, personally.
Credit Transfer Issues: None so far.
Course Name/Rating:

Gender and Politics

Course Department: POLS6008
Instructor: Maki Kimura
Instruction Language: English
Comments: While the material of this course was interesting, I found that the professor was a bit scattered in her lectures. She read from notes instead of being engaged, which made the lectures really dull in comparison to what they could have been. Plus, I found her grading the essays was not too beneficial - with a word limit, she would constantly say you had to add more to your essay, but refrained from saying where you should have cut if you were at the maximum limit. As someone who writes quite a bit, that was very unhelpful for me.
Credit Transfer Issues: None so far.
Course Name/Rating:

Britain's Constitutional Revolution

Course Department: POLS6004
Instructor: Robert Hazell
Instruction Language: English
Comments: My favorite class I took while abroad. Currently now in the process of studying for a thesis based on the material this course taught me! Very well-informed professor and enjoyable readings.
Credit Transfer Issues: Not at this time.