ISA England: Worth Every Penny! Past Review
By Hailey O (English Literature (British and Commonwealth)., Western Washington University) for
ISA Study Abroad in London, England
It's really made me think about how America is viewed by the world and how we view other countries. I've also learned a lot about myself and what I want for my future.
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. |
There seemed to not be nearly as much homework as I was used to having at my home university. I found some of my lecturers to be unenthusiastic and my classes boring. I'm sure this depends strongly on what classes you take and on the lecturers, so I can see others having a different experience. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The ISA staff in London were amazingly sweet and helpful! They were a huge part of why I enjoyed my trip so much. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The dorms were surprisingly nice! They had a huge kitchen and nice rooms. I was a little disappointed that most of the other students in the dorms were also international students, so I didn't get to meet as many Brits as I had hoped. Also, there was a little difficulty before I left with securing my housing. |
| * Food: |
English food gets a reputation as being bland for a reason. That said, it is possible to find all different kinds of food in London-- it's very international! The Thai and Indian food was great. There were many markets and grocery stores to buy food to prepare yourself as well. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
ISA arranged really fun excursions for us to go on. Some were more interesting than others, but I think they really added to my experience! It was nice to have a group to go with who was interested in seeing the sights. I would highly recommend the Scotland excursion if they offer it. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
London is a very safe city for being so large. ISA did a good job of preparing us for health and safety issues on my trip. |
| 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) |
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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | London is a great place to live and study, and ISA is a great way to experience it! I would probably suggest going as a sophomore or junior as that is more of the age group of most of the students I met. The school wasn't very challenging, but that allowed for more time to explore! |
