One of the best decisions I have ever made Past Review
By Emily (Wellesley College) - abroad from 09/17/2016 to 06/09/2017 with
University College London (UCL): London - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
It was definitely a worthwhile experience. I was only supposed to go abroad for one semester, but I decided to extend it for the rest of the year. I learned so much about myself and the world around me. If you are on the fence about studying abroad, just go!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The classes were fine. I did not find them as stimulating as the courses at my home university, however the course objectives were clear. The amount of "busy work" was far less than what I was used to, but it was a refreshing break. While UCL offered a plethora of academic resources, I did not use any of them at any point throughout the year. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Before attending UCL I had heard about the administration's tendency to be disorganized and slow. While I never had any issues communicating with the administration, it is definitely a complicated system and it sometimes took a while to figure out exactly who to contact. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I chose to live in university accommodation. Looking back I probably would have chosen to live in private accommodation, and while it was certainly nothing glamorous, it was the easiest option. |
| * Food: |
I never ate in the dinning hall. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
It all came down to how much effort you put in. London is an extremely multicultural place and I tried to take as much advantage of that as I could. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I never had a health issue, however my friends who did had no problem receiving treatment or the necessary help. My biggest advice would be to "stock up" on necessary prescriptions before coming because health insurance companies can be very strict. |
| * Safety: |
London is one of the biggest cities in the world so of course it is going to have its not-so-great areas, but the area around UCL is very safe. Make sure you stay smart and map out routes in advance. The app 'CityMapper' is a life saver! |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I mainly went abroad for non-academic reasons. While the different style of instruction and grading were a welcomed break, UCL can be disorganized and the community element at other schools like my home institution was lacking. However, I absolutely loved London, all the people I met and had an incredible time. Like most things, it is what you make of it and the amount of effort you put in will determine your overall experience. |
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 expensive, but the value of the pound dropping helped immensely! |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | About $130. I did not eat in my accommodation's dinning hall so most of my money went to food. I saved money by living within walking distance from UCL and living in a central location. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I did not go abroad with a set weekly or monthly budget, however my biggest advice would be to save as much as possible and give yourself some leeway because there are always going to be unexpected expenses that will pop up. Also, grocery shopping is far cheaper in London than eating out and take the bus or walk as often as possible. |
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?
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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? | I wish I had created a budget for myself and that I would have wanted to stay the whole year. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
