Great year in London Past Review

By (Wellesley College) - abroad from 10/01/2018 to 06/05/2019 with

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

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Learned a lot about living in a city, and attending a larger, research uni

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.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The Study Abroad coordinator was extremely helpful, and responsive with her emails. However, the upper level admin at SOAS had some problems, and everything seemed to be completed on a late schedule. Despite this, Sarah, the study abroad coordinator was always helpful in advocating for exchange students with admin.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

Lived in self-catered uni hall, where I would buy and cook all my own meals

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

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)

While London can be expensive, it was possible to live on a tight budget if needed.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 70

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

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

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • 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?
  • Classes
* What could be improved?
  • Admin
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? That the admin at SOAS is notoriously slow, so try not to do anything last minute.

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.'