Learning to Adult Past Review
By Ellie (Wellesley College) - abroad from 09/24/2015 to 06/07/2016 with
London School of Economics (LSE): London - General Course, Year-Long Study Abroad Programme
Yes. I learned so much from mundane things such as cooking for myself, budgeting, shopping, traveling, finances, to making lasting personal relationships, to learning how to take charge of my own education. It was definitely worthwhile.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
No food provided, required to make own food. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
NHS can be confusing to Americans who have never had to deal with Socialized medicine, and waiting lines can be long, but over all always felt like I could get help if I needed it. |
| * Safety: |
London feels very very safe. It's clean, and I have never felt scared walking home at night. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
The London School of Economics is not a program to enroll in if you need hand holding and guidance through the entire process- it is challenging academically, socially, and personally, but it leads to immense growth in all those areas. It pushes you to be responsible for all your own work, your own goals, and much more. I feel much more prepared to go out after graduation with the skills I have learned here, not to mention to concur my senior year of college. |
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 very expensive. Everything from transportation and food costs a lot of money, and I think if I had known that I might have thought twice before choosing this program. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I managed to spend only 15 pounds a week on food, given that LSE provides free lunch every day, and probably around 20-30 pounds on going out or transportation. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Cook your own food! Eating out is very expensive. But the cheapest food available and shop at Tescos because it is the cheapest. Try to walk everywhere if possible. |
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? | I wish I had known that it is tempting to gravitate toward other exchange students, but that it is much more worth your while to meet new people! |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
