Lovely London January 13, 2022
By A student (Universität Zürich / University of Zurich / UZH) - abroad from 09/20/2021 to 12/17/2021 with
Queen Mary University of London Study Abroad programme
I learned how it is to live in a different country with a whole different system. I liked seeing how the university there worked. Also, the uni organised a lot of cool things which made it quite easy to meet new people. Although I was in a different country I never felt alone thanks to that!
Personal Information
How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
It was a bit chaotic and I had no idea in the beginning about what to do with my courses as they were rescheduled a lot. Also, I applied for a program where exchange students and freshers can be assigned a local student who helps them, but I never got one. |
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
There were quite a lot of fire drills and alarms, otherwise I loved living on campus :) |
* 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? |
I think that due to the covid situation, many things were a bit chaotic. So, when I got sick I had a lot of trouble signing up with a local doctor. Also, I was redirected a lot when I had questions so in the end I didn’t even know who to call about that. It took a long time to get an appointment with a doctor, which was also really annoying as I haven’t been sick like this in a long time and the medicine I was given at pharmacies did not help at all. I was able to get some antibiotics when I called the NHS but this also took quite some time. In my home country things are organised quite differently which is why I was a bit frustrated at that time, but as I said, I also think that it was like that due to the current situation. |
* Safety: |
I wouldn’t walk around alone at night, and I have friends who got their belongings stolen, so I think it’s just important to be observant. And people shouldn’t walk around with their phone in their hands. |
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
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Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 100£ |
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Go to the welcome fair!! For food: Too good to go (app), and generelly cooking at home is cheaper, |
Language
* Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
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How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Fluent |
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | CAE First |
How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Just talk to everyone |
Other Program Information
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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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? | Nothing comes to my mind, sorry |
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! |