Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Tough, fun, eye opening. Past Review

By (Trinity University) - abroad from 09/15/2016 to 06/09/2017 with

London School of Economics (LSE): London - General Course, Year-Long Study Abroad Programme

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Learned to deal with uncertainty. Learned to enjoy being alone and how to be more independent. Totally worth it. Extremely grateful I had the chance to do it.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

It was great. Extremely rioforous academically it is a completely different educational system and way of learning but it is exactly what I needed to develop myself further.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Dorms where really bad. Only thing that I liked is that I was able to live with my friends.

* Food:

Cooked for myself

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Dont interact to much with Brittish students unless you actively try to do that. People usually just hang around other general course people.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Didnt have any health problems

* Safety:

Good safety checks. I was in London when the attacks happened IFSA was always checking in on me

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

I would choose the same program but maybe not do it through IFSA.

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)

London is expensive

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 30 to 40 pounds on food since I provided my own food and 20 on leisure
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Get a bike. Dont use public transportation to much just to go to school it is super expensive.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

* Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? Exchange

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

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

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • Academic component
  • Career development component
  • Location
* What could be improved?
  • Housing
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Brace yourself it will be hard but you will come up a better person on the other side. Bring warm socks for the winter.

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 Linguist
You 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!