A Memorable Semester Past Review
By A student (Wellesley College) - abroad from 09/17/2018 to 12/14/2018 with
King's College London: London - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I learned how to live and travel on my own. I made it a big deal to manage money well, which included choosing what to spend my money on. It was incredibly worthwhile and I would do it again!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Definitely not as challenging as my home university, but I knew that going in and that was what I wanted. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Very unorganized and not efficient at all. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The location was exceptional, and atmosphere was incredible. However, the dorms were very old and kind of a mess, but able to live in still. |
| * Food: |
Cooked on my own to save money. Restaurants around London were all good, as well as street food. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Felt like I was completely a part of the culture even with fellow Americans. Having a routine really helped, as well as branching out to make friends who were full time students at King's. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Didn't ave experience with healthcare, but peers did and students get free healthcare from the NIH while abroad. The school health services were helpful to those who needed it. |
| * Safety: |
Contrary to what some people believe, London is really safe! It is definitely a matter of being smart everywhere you go. Of course there are things you can't prevent, but making good choices will help make your experience safer already. Study up on which areas are thought of as less safe, and be prepared! |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
It was the perfect place to spend a semester abroad... London is an exciting city with so much stuff to do. Each neighborhood was worth exploring, and I quickly felt like I belonged there. It was a huge change being in a metropolitan city for school and I am immensely grateful I had the chance to experience that. Being in Europe allowed me to to travel to tons of different countries and visit some places I've dreamed of going since I was younger. I am very confident that I will keep in touch with the people I met, and my relationships with people I already knew, are only stronger because of this experience. Of course there are things to be improved, but as a whole I came in with lower expectations for things such as academics and housing, so I wasn't too worked up about these things. For me, those things come second to an incredible experience I will never forget. |
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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Approximately $150, on a week I was in town. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Make a budget and stick to it! Especially if you are traveling. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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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* Who did you take classes with?
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| 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? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Class schedules will not be finalized until a week or two before the program, and syllabi was not provided early on - deadlines were only given later. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Outright UrbaniteA 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. |
