Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

UCL: Life Changing and Extremely Fun Experience in London Past Review

By (COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCES AND SUPPORT SERVICES., Wellesley College) for

University College London (UCL): London - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned so much and I loved every moment of it. I grew as a person and learn to love my major. I met so many amazing and inspiring people.

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.

The workload tends to be due at the end of the semester, so start early because they usually are assigned at the beginning of the term. So don't procrastinate! The work isn't balanced throughout the semester like regular American universities. During lectures, one can get bored easily and begin not to listen... I recommend trying to actively listen and look at lectures beforehand to stay engaged. If you are struggling with understanding lectures, there isn't much you can do except try to learn it yourself on your own time.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

There wasn't must programming done for study abroad students... they just mix you with the freshers. So you feel like a freshman all over again. I had no expectations so nothing really was wrong with the administration.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in Frances Gardner, it was a bit expensive considering that it's self catered in comparison to the other UCL dorms. So I had to buy food and utensils/cookware to cook for myself. It's nice to share cookware with your flatmates or other study abroad students. UCL dorms are all located in Central London so they are extremely close to everything.

* Food:

There is a variety of food places to eat! Tesco, Waitrose, and Sainbury's had really fresh groceries.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I was able to meet many Londoners in my classes so I felt like it was great to understand local culture!

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I didn't really face any health issues, but they explained about the infirmary.

* Safety:

London is extremely safe! But you just have to watch out for creepy people at the club, so definitely go with guy friends.

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)

It's pretty expensive to live in London therefore hard to budget wisely.

* Was housing included in your program cost? Yes
* Was food included in your program cost? No
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? budgeted around 200 per week.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Put bread and certain foods in the freezer to have them last longer!

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No
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?

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
  • Americans
  • 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?
  • Ability to meet students from around the world
  • Learning more about my Computer Science Major
  • Interacting with recruiters during UCL career fairs
* What could be improved?
  • The cost of food
  • The cost of living spaces
  • The type of food in London
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew about cheap places to shop for living utilities, such as plates, pots, etc. during my time abroad. So definitely check out argos! Also make sure to choose the right mobile provider!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

History of Art in London: 19th and 20th Century
Course Department: History of Art, HART1602
Instructor: Catherine Berger
Instruction Language: English
Comments: It was a great course to go to various galleries in London. I learned more about the art movements starting from the 19th century.
Credit Transfer Issues: None so far..
Course Name/Rating:

Computer Graphics
Course Department: Computer Science - COMP3080
Instructor: Jan Kautz
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The course was advanced -- make sure you are comfortable with matrices and angle operations.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Software Engineering and Human Computer Interaction
Course Department: Computer Science - COMP2009
Instructor: Course Tutors and Graham Roberts
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The course was certainly interesting. The first half was based on HCI and the second half on SE. The course was more about developing one project throughout the term. It's a great class to understand how to do HCI research and how the product development process works.
Credit Transfer Issues: Not so far..
Course Name/Rating:

Theory I
Course Department: Computer Science - COMP1002
Instructor: Anthony Hunter, Robin Hirsch
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Anthony Hunter is an amazing professor and taught really well. Robin Hirsch was a bit more confusing professor. I would only recommend taking the class if you haven't had exposure to data structures and logic. This course has some exposure to algorithms, but not so much about calculating exact run times or big O notation. Overall, it's a great class to take if you want to become friends with the 1st years/freshers at UCL.
Credit Transfer Issues: No issues so far.