Frisbaes, Flights and Finals: A Full Year at the LSE Past Review
By A student (Wellesley College) - abroad from 09/17/2017 to 06/08/2018 with
London School of Economics (LSE): London - General Course, Year-Long Study Abroad Programme
I learned to navigate one of the largest cities in the world! TFL is very comprehensive but still, i'm proud. This year taught me a lot about independence and adulthood and i'm grateful for that.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I choose the LSE because I knew this study abroad program would be more rigorous than others. In that, I was right. The content was demanding and the students were brilliant. BUT, as every other wellesley student on here will point out, it wasnt wellesley. The content is at a higher caliber (especially with the Econ courses i took) But the teaching simply falls flat. Also end-of-year examinations are the main reason I'll avoid the UK for grad school (although living there was lovely). Just not my cup of tea. I did learn in this year abroad, both in and out of class. Being surrounded by Economics majors meant engaging dialogue, lots of cool lectures, and and overall positive learning environment. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They set up a pretty cool orientation and programs throughout the year if you wanna get involved. A lot of attention, comparatively, given to study abroad students. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My accommodation was essentially a hotel and it was across the street from a london landmark! it was super cool, to say the least. BUT- no housing community which was kinda sad coming from a liberal arts space. |
| * Food: |
Day-to-day food in the UK is not great- i had chips (fries) and fast-food sushi for most meals. That being said, London is a massive city with many food markets and I ate lots of delicious food there. But, that was a treat (but would strongly recommend these markets!) |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The Brits like two things: beer and banter. Also, although very cold at first, seem to warm up pretty quickly (in my experience). My closest friends did end up being Americans also on study abroad, but that was mostly because of a similar mindset about the year/ willingness to travel every weekend. I joined a sports team and made a lot of British friends to hang out with. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Brits complain about the NHS and I.. just dont get it. |
| * Safety: |
LSE housing is mainly in Central London and although i didn't feel *wellesley 2am safe*, i did always feel safe. |
| 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) |
I did really well at the start of the year but then got lazy and started eating out. Come prepared to spend a good bit of money |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 60 pounds |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Keep up with the exchange rate (only half joking) |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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?
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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? | Signing up for a rigorous course load means that you will regret your decision to study abroad every day during the two month reading period. Please know what you are getting yourself into. Also keep in mind that your likely wont have exams at the end of the first term- take advantage of that! But go to class still. Playing catch-up is fine for a week's content- less fine for a year's. |
