Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

I easily walked 10,000 steps a day; there is so much to do! April 26, 2021

By (University of Southern California) - abroad from 01/15/2020 to 03/27/2020 with

Queen Mary University of London Study Abroad programme

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I definitely learned independence because this was my first time having to set up a phone plan or buy my own hotel when traveling. I also felt like being alone was really scary, but I'm proud that I overcame it. I liked learning about the English education system as well and comparing it to what I experience here at America. I felt like I really got a taste of what London life was like, but I really wish I had the host experience since I was pretty much a long-term tourist still.

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.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

I'm not sure if it's because of the onset of corona but I did receive some racial verbal attacks, and I generally felt unsafe walking at night (especially near public transportation) which sucked because traveling generally means you return at night.

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

London was exactly what I hoped it would be! I also loved being in Queen Mary, I felt everything I wanted to do was accessible. While I struggled in the beginning to make friends (since a lot of people seemed to have come over with their friends), I eventually made a lot of good memories.

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)

There's so much to do, and I wanted to explore everywhere! It was definitely tough to keep to a budget since I didn't cook much and was generally out a lot. Transportation (trains, planes) are a lot cheaper than at home, but the costs still add up when you're going out every weekend and sometimes twice a week (on Wednesdays!).

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $120
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? If you make friends with other international students, maybe try to cook together as a bonding activity since you all live in dorms instead of going out to eat. Additionally, if you're travelling for a long time (more than a couple days), also try to find places to cook or buy/bring instant food to eat on the trip instead of restaurants. Lastly, biggest tip, meal combos at convenience stores (Tesco, Co-op) are cheap, portable, and literally everywhere. Great for traveling.

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? Direct Enrollment

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
  • 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?
  • A lot of support/benefits from my home institution
  • London was amazing!
  • Queen Mary's local students were very receptive and welcoming of international students
* What could be improved?
  • The HostUK program was a bit disorganized (especially with corona)
  • I wish we had icebreakers with students from my home school before we came since I didn't know any of them (and still don't) but we shared so many experiences together it'd be nice to be able to talk about them.
  • Scheduling was kind of difficult since I had to do it blindsided on my own before I came, so it was really stressful not having the right classes since I didn't know their scheduling system. It'd be good if the procedure was public, so I could be prepared going in.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? My class schedule was thrown off because the order of classes taken for my degree program is different from Queen Mary so some classes I wanted to take were in different years and thus conflicted which I didn't know would be a problem since in America we can take most classes in any order we want. Besides that, everyone was generally very friendly and helpful, so I never felt too huge of a culture gap. I wish I spent more time taking advantage of Queen Mary resources from the beginning though because near the end I was traveling so much, I didn't really have time for any of their events. Also, it is more difficult than I thought it'd be to make friends with local students since most of them already have friends in their classes (since I attended spring semester and I didn't realize everyone had the same schedule!), and most of them commute from home. Clubs were the best way to do this, but it's really hard to go alone. That's why I wish I knew some students beforehand from my home university I could explore with to ease the burden.

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 Avid Adventurer
The wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal.