Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

A great experience Past Review

By (Wellesley College) - abroad from 09/18/2017 to 06/01/2018 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?
I expanded my knowledge in my field of studies while being able to travel. It was great being able to explore Europe with LSE's low contact hours.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Professors are very helpful but there is a lot of independent studying and learning involved. Level of intensity depends on the courses taken.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

A dean is designated to the General Course. He is very helpful and understanding of situations.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Urbanest is a very clean accommodation.

* Food:

English food is not very different from American food. My residence hall did not provide food.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Joining orgs really helps when trying to meet people outside of the general course.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Personally I did not need any healthcare, but it was very accessible.

* Safety:

London is a city but the area that my accommodation and LSE were in are quite safe.

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

Meeting new people and taking classes at LSE was a great experience. My flatmates were both general course students but from all over the world. I had the opportunity to engage with regular LSE students and it was great.

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 really expensive, so budgeting for food and going out tends to be a lot.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 150

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? Exchange

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local 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?
  • Really interesting courses were offered.
* What could be improved?
  • Better reviews of the difficulty of courses prior to taking them.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? To try out a bunch of different orgs at the beginning if you want to meet people regularly enrolled in courses.

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 Nearly Native or Trail Blazer
Craving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.'