London, SOAS: It felt like home when I was there Past Review

By (Middle Eastern Studies/ Chemistry, Wellesley College) for

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

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Yes, I definitely grew as a person from being more independent in a new country, interacting with people who were so different from my own college, and learning about my own major from a different angle.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

It was a very different style of teaching, but it was well suited to the topics I wanted to study. I did not have as much homework as I was used to but I still found the classes challenging, and my critical thinking skills greatly improved as a result.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Paper forms had to be handed into the faculty offices, and the process of registering for courses was extremely complicated. There was often a very long wait time to hand in a form or ask a question of someone in the faculty office.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I needed to buy everything to outfit my room, as well as kitchen supplies to cook in the common kitchen. The rooms were rather small and the individual bathrooms had some plumbing problems, but otherwise I was very pleased with the housing situation. The building had great security, and they were helpful with answering questions and dealing with any issues.

* Food:

I cooked for myself and my flatmates, but there are also great restaurants in the London area.

* 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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? I spent approximately 50 pounds, or 75 dollars on food and living expenses each week.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? I didn't have any unanticipated expenses but in general, London is expensive and conversion from dollars to pounds often came up more than anticipated.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? None
Language acquisition improvement?

I studied Arabic and used it within the class context and occasionally during leisure time with my classmates.

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

  • Americans
  • International Students
  • Local Students
* 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? SOAS is incredible for the areas in which it specializes, and any student with similar academic aspirations would benefit most from being there. It would also be a great introduction into a new field or a new language for anyone unfamiliar with Oriental and African studies.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Islam and Democracy

Course Department: Law and Social Sciences
Instructor: Professor Nelson
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This course was incredible, and forced me to really think about my own perceptions and ideas about the topic and refine them. Every week, I was introduced to a new way of thinking, and the class discussions were particularly interested as it allowed me to hear what my peers had to say.
Credit Transfer Issues: No I did not have any credit transfer issues.