Top Up As You Go, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love London Past Review
By Katherine C (History & Theatre Studies, Wellesley College) for
Royal Holloway, University of London: London - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
The experience itself was worthwhile - I got to travel around Europe, live the London student lifestyle, and make new and reconnect with old friends. What's not to like?
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 thought the transition between Wellesley and RHUL was smooth - discussion seminars were exactly like those I had in the United States, and the mostly second-year students had years of class participation under their belts, so discussion periods were not as awkward as I thought they would be. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
While everyone at RHUL was friendly and available to answer my question, the maintenance request system is possibly one of the worst I've ever encountered. Nobody came to fix any of my maintenance problems, which ranged from a clogged showerhead to broken internet (which I fixed) to the loss of power in my room for 3 days. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
Mostly carb-laden food with a nonexistent salad bar. I also forgot how expensive food generally is in England. |
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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? |
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| * Safety: |
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| 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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I tried to limit my spending to 100 pounds a week, and most of it went to travel in and out of London as well as food. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Debit card charges really, really do pile up - be warned! |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | The classwork is not strenuous, and it is a bit far from the city, so keep that in mind. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Mongolian History |
| Course Department: | HS2151 |
| Instructor: | Dr. Evrim Binbas |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Not the most interesting class in the world, but a nice professor. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | N/A |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Australian Film, Theatre & Culture |
| Course Department: | DT2140 |
| Instructor: | Dr. Emma Cox |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Very, very interesting and insightful - a great portrait of how history and culture is reflected in a country's theatrical life. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | N/A |
| Course Name/Rating: |
The Asian Resurgence |
| Course Department: | HS2017 |
| Instructor: | Dr. Sandra Walton, Dr. Akil Awan |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Although I have had previous experience in Asian history, it opened up a new world of resources for me |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
