Big City Adult: independence, money, and travel Past Review
By Lucia A P (Astrophysics, Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/01/2013 to 06/01/2013 with
University College London (UCL): London - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I loved being abroad in London: it felt like the beginning of my ascent into adulthood. The independence I had and the accessibility of a social life and travel made me feel empowered and helped me solidify my wants and my personality. I am very fond of the friends I made and the classes I took. If I could change it, though, I wished I could have gone somewhere more challenging to me. London was a bit of a safe option for me: English speaking and very much like my hometown of NYC. I went to UCL because it was the only place abroad that worked with my major timing and curriculum. If I hadn't been bound by my major, I would have gone somewhere less 'safe', like Italy or France (for language learning), or Spain and South America (for mastering my native tongue).
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Fantastic lecturers and great course texts, but the system (huge lectures, rare meetings, and no coursework save a huge final exam) created an academic environment of stress, apathy, and isolation. I was happy that the courses were at the level of my home school and fit into the curriculum I need to graduate. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The bureaucracy got a little slow at times, but they got the necessities done. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I loved the place I lived; a university residence in Camden with a dining hall. I had all the amenities I needed (although some were sketchy, like no WiFi), I met tons of British kids (which didn't happen in my courses), and I had a built-in and vibrant social life (from communal eating and the fantastic neighborhood of Camden). |
| * Food: |
Dining hall food varied from mildly gross to pretty tasty; breakfast was great and predictable, and I loved the communal dining and not worrying about feeding myself. But I HATED that I was fed only breakfast and dinner on weekdays, and was left to fend for myself over the weekend (food I bought was too much for me and went bad by the next weekend, and lunch could be tricky). |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Although most of my best friends were other Americans studying abroad, I did make British friends in my residence hall, classes, and organizations. London's social life was easy to access and extremely enjoyable, and if you tried new things you naturally felt like part of the city. I wished I had made more British friends, but a combination of their social tendencies and my impulse to stick with what I knew inhibited that. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
UCL's own health center was great when I used, although crowded; I hope they keep their funding in the future. The London emergency room was great: they attended me quickly, were helpful, and because it was my first visit it was free. |
| * Safety: |
Night buses are FANTASTIC, know them well and love them. Clubs could be sketchy, but if you're in a group you're fine. Thefts in my friend group happened either while traveling (note: Barcelona) or when alone and drunk, so take care. There were some laptop thefts, so lock your door. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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Finances
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* 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) |
London is SO expensive, and necessary things, like weekend food and travel cars, and optional but great things, like going out and exploring the city, added up really fast. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 60 pounds, or 130 dollars on average. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Steal lunch from the dining hall meals they give you; go to clubs on free nights or early; pre-drink if you want to; fly Ryanair and travel to cheaper cities (not: Paris, Stockholm, Rome, etc., try: Santander, Sardinia, etc.); airbnb.com instead of hotels or hostels (but be safe!); get the monthly travel card if you need it; wave your student card everywhere |
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
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| 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? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | DOUBLE YOUR BUDGET Get an international banking card Travel widely for as little money as you can, Europe is so accessible |
