Past Review
By Amelia I (Sociology., Wellesley College) for
London School of Economics (LSE): London - General Course, Year-Long Study Abroad Programme
Yes, it was very worthwhile. I gained a better understanding of myself and how to live on my own, and how to adjust to new places. I hope to move back to London someday, and I now feel well-equipped to do so because I know the city pretty well. In studying abroad, I wanted to test myself to live in a foreign country for a year, and I was hoping to find out if this was a place I wanted to live after graduating. In this way, it has made me more internationally-focused in my future plans. I'm also more certain of my academic interests and I know that I want to go on to graduate school. LSE also helped me to become more politically involved and politically aware because of the people that I met there and the environment. LSE offers students more opportunities to become politically active than Wellesley does.
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. |
The workload is not as large as at Wellesley. For UK students, their entire grade is based on a final exam. Because nothing that they do during the year counts for anything, many of them come to class unprepared, and this makes more for a less productive learning environment. Lectures are less interactive, professors don't put as much time into getting to know you even though class sizes are pretty small, and seminars are taught by PhD students. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The General Course program did very little for us, but that was generally okay as it gave us a better opportunity to act as any other student at LSE. The strength of this program is the fact that it is Direct Enrollment. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Hughes Parry Hall, Cartwright Gardens, WC1H 9EF. Good location, poor facilities. <br /><br /> The location was good, within a 20-minute walk of LSE campus. However, the hall did barely anything to facilitate community or help students meet each other, and the facilities were poor and the rules were strict and old-fashioned. Also, the food was terrible and not a very good value. |
| * Food: |
The quality of the food was poor, and it was generally not very healthy. You were limited in the amount you could eat, and there weren't very many options. Additionally, hours of access were extremely limited. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Most of the wonderful things I enjoyed in London were not organized by my program, but were undertaken on my own and with my friends. There's a great music scene and a great arts scene. London has so much going on, and most of the student events that LSE organized were terrible. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
The UK has a National Health Service, and I was covered by this completely while studying abroad. LSE itself didn't really address any of my health issues, but it didn't really need to. As a large metropolitan city, London is pretty safe, even at night, because there are always people out on main streets and public buses run all night long. |
| 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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I spent very little money on food and expenses because my hall was catered (breakfast and dinner) and because I don't like to spend money. I walked everywhere, I only went to bars that didn't have cover fees. London is an expensive city, but it's also pretty easy to save money if you go out of your way to do so. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | There were no unanticipated expenses. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I would recommend the LSE program for students who are interested in having a dynamic city-based experience and who are not looking for an easy academic year. I chose LSE in the hopes that it would be challenging and because it has a prestigious academic reputation. Independent students will benefit most from this program, and students who are outgoing and able to make friends on their own in a short amount of time. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Gender & Society |
| Course Department: | SO208 |
| Instructor: | Suki Ali |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This course was interesting and gave a broad review of the entire topic. Students were engaged with the material and the professor was a dynamic lecturer. It was challenging, and I was given the opportunity to read many things that I wouldn't have been asked to read otherwise. However, there was not enough discussion, in my opinion. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
