1 Year in Central London Past Review
By Raya (Undeclared, Brandeis University) - abroad from 10/01/2012 to 07/12/2013 with
London School of Economics (LSE): London - General Course, Year-Long Study Abroad Programme
I got a real sense for the feel of living in the UK, which will definitely inform my decision going forward whether to consider working in that country.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The LSE system is very different from a liberal arts education in the USA. I found that a lot more independent work was expected, but the resources to complete that independent work were not provided. (For example, the suggested textbooks were not very coherent, and there were no study groups or outside help aside from teaching assistants.) I felt that there was little feedback and support along the way. I also found it very difficult that my entire grade rested on just a single final exam covering a year's worth of information. Since there were only a handful of homework assignments, it was hard to tell where I stood in the class in terms of knowing the information. That being said, I did take one fascinating course that I absolutely loved - EH101 Internationalization of Economic Growth (Economic History department). While the teaching wasn't as straight-forward as the US system, the material was amazing. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Administration was annoying to deal with and I had to register for classes using paper forms, which was very inefficient. I also had trouble proving my pre-requisites qualified me for a course (FM212) using my AP stats and calculus courses. (I think due to the British unfamiliarity with APs.) |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in the heart of central London, right near Trafalgar Square and it was amazing. My favorite part of living abroad. |
| * Food: |
Grocery stores were hard to come by in central London, and many of my American food favorites were impossible to find - like mac and cheese. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I didn't feel "integrated" but I did manage to blend in so as to not stand out. Sometimes it was to my advantage to be different, and my British friends were curious to learn about how college life was different in the US. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
The UK has free healthcare and you can take advantage of it immediately. (Just register your UK permanent address with the NIH to find your local doctor.) Certain prescription drugs are also free at the drugstore, including contraceptives. Emergency room care is also free. |
| * Safety: |
I always felt very safe, even at night in central London. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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) |
London is very expensive to begin with, and there is a 20% sales tax on everything you buy. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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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? | 0 |
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? | LSE's best class offering might actually be OUTSIDE the econ department. Don't overestimate LSE's econ department and don't underestimate all of their other departments. |
