London: A Global City Past Review

By (Health Policy Analysis., Wellesley College) for

King's College London: London - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I loved my study abroad experience! It was an amazing growth experience for me and I'm so glad I did it. I just wish it could've been longer.

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 educational system in the UK is very different from the American system. Most of my classes only had 2 papers or 2 assessments that made up my entire grade. Furthermore, my classes had 1 hour lecture components as well as 1 hour seminar components that were smaller and designed for discussion. There was a lot of reading, but much of it was optional as only a smaller amount was required for weekly seminars.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The King's study abroad office was helpful in directing questions elsewhere, to other student support services.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Housing was a King's College flat and was very safe and close to one of the King's campuses.

* Food:

Ready meals and groceries easily accesible sold everywhere.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

n/a

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

I found London pretty safe.

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? Probably around $50-$100.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Travel within the city is expensive so I tried to walk when possible.

Language

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? None

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • International Students
  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • n/a
* What could be improved?
  • n/a
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I didn't go through a program, it was direct enrollment. So I'd say a student who wants his/her study abroad experience to truly be a growth experience and a time of real independence.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Health and Society

Course Department: MX1000
Instructor: Matthew Todres
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This was an amazing course! It was with other American pre-med students and involved different lecturers and topics every week. We took several field trips and it also had a shadowing component in which we got the chance to observe local physicians as well as operations.
Credit Transfer Issues: Yes.
Course Name/Rating:

The Immune System in Health and Disease

Course Department: Biochemistry
Instructor: Val Corrigal
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This was a very large lecture course. Different lecturers came in to talk about their areas of expertise within the field of Immunology.
Credit Transfer Issues: Yes.
Course Name/Rating:

Early Modern Britain

Course Department: History
Instructor: Lucy
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This was a great introductory course on early modern British history. However, I had a lot more interaction with my seminar tutor that with any of the course lecturers.
Credit Transfer Issues: Yes.
Course Name/Rating:

Islam's Beginnings

Course Department: Religion and Theology
Instructor: Hussam
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This course was one of my favorite lectures due to its small size. The lecturer invited class participation and was very knowledgeable.
Credit Transfer Issues: Yes.