Studying in London, England: A soft launch into study abroad January 20, 2023

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Courses were less rigorous than Wellesley's but engaging nonetheless; really interesting material and passionate professors! I loved all my classes and appreciated how available my professors were. They were supportive and I cultivated great relationships with them while I was there.

On-site administration of your program

The beginning events were very nice and there was a guide made for study abroad students. Over time, though, there were few events from the Study Abroad office and they were not someone I could rely on.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Other students had complaints, but I loved having my own single and my own en-suite bathroom and I think it's an adequate living space for a short-term stay. Location is very convenient. There were safety and hygiene issues, though, so if you're doing the full year, it might be a good idea to find a better place (if you can afford it).

I mostly cooked, food in London is very expensive and I don't think British cuisine stands out on its own. But traveling to other places allowed me to try new food and I'm grateful for that experience!

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

As an American, I did not feel very alienated from the local culture and found it to be very similar to the U.S. The lack of a language barrier made it easier to integrate.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Once you register with a GP (general practitioner), you can go as many times as you'd like for anything you need, and they can also refer you to specialists or contact them on their own. It is easy, accessible, and most importantly, FREE! They are so helpful. My only issue, in the beginning, was when my registration hadn't gone through yet but I still had to go to the doctor urgently and ended up paying ~$160 out of pocket.

London, as far as major cities go, feels very safe. There are people out at all hours of the night and so long as you keep to the buddy system, nights out are perfectly fine as well. I never worried about being followed home or commuting late at night.

As someone who has never traveled extensively outside of the US before, being in London was perfect for me. I was in a place similar to home, could visit relatives I had there, and still experience a whole new country, continent, and culture. I loved my program and the classes I got to take were incredible and solidified South Asia Studies as my second major. In the future, I want to challenge myself to go to a country that isn't English-speaking, but for someone like me, this was the perfect first step.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

$100/week was possible for me but often very difficult, as transportation costs, groceries, and so on add up. At the end of the day, you are not just studying there - you are also trying to have fun and go sightseeing, travel, and have culturally enriching experiences. This is expensive too! The British pound is worth more than the US dollar, so many costs came up unexpectedly when I saw the currency exchange.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

I was the only native speaker in the class, so my professor often went slower and didn't expect us to use the language as much because it was a fully introductory course.

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• Dorm

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

• People I met
• Classes I took
• Experiencing London

• Support from host institution
• Support from home institution
• Financial wellbeing

The Academic or Linguist