Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Cheers! Past Review

By (Near and Middle Eastern Studies., Wellesley College) for

SOAS, University of London: London - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It has changed my world-view of global politics and American involvement drastically. I was also there during the elections, so that was fascinating to see!

Personal Information

If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: N/A
How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Again, it is very self-directed. You will put in as much work as you see fit.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

We were pretty much on our own after Orientation, which I actually appreciated. The program administrators were very easy to get in touch with, though, so if they were needed they were there for us.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

SOAS referred first years and exchange students to Dinwiddy House. Not directly related, so SOAS was not responsible for anything that happened.

* Food:

N/A.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I had an absolute BLAST exploring London. Nothing was arranged by my program, but I just used TimeOut and Spoonfed.co.uk to find out what was going on in the city.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

London is VERY safe! Just be street-smart. Pepper spray is not allowed, but the bookstore sells self-protection gadgets that are allowed.

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

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 40-50 pounds.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? DON'T HAVE PACKAGES SHIPPED TO YOU! You will be slammed with a customs fee worth about 1/3 the value of your parcel.

Language

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? None
Language acquisition improvement?

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

  • Local Students
  • International Students
  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • International Students

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? You must be okay being on your own. This program will not hold your hand.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Intermediate Arabic
Course Department: Arabic 200
Instructor: Nada Elzeer
Instruction Language: Arabic/English
Comments: Very grammar-focused. A lot of vocabulary. Not a lot of speaking at all, but the professor was GREAT.
Credit Transfer Issues: Unknown.
Course Name/Rating:

Introduction to Arabic Culture
Course Department: Language and Culture
Instructor: Hugh Kennedy
Instruction Language: English
Comments: GREAT! It was an intro class, so there were a lot of first years, but the content was incredibly interesting. Look at Arabic culture since pre-Islamic times.
Credit Transfer Issues: Unknown
Course Name/Rating:

Literature of the Near and Middle East
Course Department: Language and Culture
Instructor: Andrew George
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Great look at literature over the span of time. 5 papers over the course of the year and no final. Revolving guest professors who were experts in their fields.
Credit Transfer Issues: Unknown.
Course Name/Rating:

Shi'ism: Community and Identity
Course Department: Religion
Instructor: Jan-Peter Hartung
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Lacked a lot of direction. I personally did not like the class at all. VERY self-directed and requires a great deal of prior knowledge that was not specified in the course description.
Credit Transfer Issues: Unknown.