London: Ups and Downs (Important!) Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Being abroad has made me appreciate the education (including intensity and rigor) that I received back home. The professors at UCL were helpful and encouraged feedback, but I missed the engaging "small class" environment offered back home.

On-site administration of your program

Administration at UCL is very bureaucratic and works a lot slower compared to administration back home. There was an instance when UCL Housing incorrectly billed me, and it took them 3 weeks to respond to my email. I'm not sure if they're understaffed, but if they are, it profoundly affects students.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I didn't feel safe in the part of London I was in (Camden). Frankly speaking, I was surprised to see that UCL would actually put students in this part of London: it was a 45-minute walk from campus, so I took the bus almost every day (a 15-minute commute, which wasn't bad and quite convenient since the bus stop was right outside of my dorm). I would definitely NOT walk out in the area near my accommodation (Max Rayne) at night.

Overall, restaurants in London offered great dining options, but they are expensive. My residence was not catered, so I had to learn how to cook for myself (for breakfast, lunch and dinner).

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

My flatmates were very friendly (most of them were from continental Europe, and some were from Asia) and we had a very comfortable, close-knit environment where we all cooked and ate meals together in our hall kitchen. There were some people who I spoke with in my classes but the lecture environment didn't accommodate with me trying to meet new people.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I didn't have any issues with health care and I didn't get sick during my semester abroad, so I can't comment on services.

It depends where in London you go. Central London is relatively safe, but you need to be aware of your surroundings at all times. No one told me this back home, but you MUST cover your PIN number if using an ATM machine. Someone took my debit card information from a camera placed near an ATM machine, so please always be EXTRA careful! A person on a bike tried to grab my phone out of my hands one night, right outside of the UCL Union Building, so I wouldn't recommend going out by yourself past 6pm either.

I would've chosen a program in another country. I did not feel safe most of the time, and I did get stares from people. It was an experience I wasn't prepared for, and it made me realize how much I took being at Wellesley for granted.

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

London is expensive, and dorms were not catered, so I kept a budget of about $100 a week for groceries.

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• Dorm

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

• Amount of Leisure Time
• Ability to Travel Throughout Europe on Weekends
• Meeting Local Students

• Safety Tips
• Budgeting

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