I'll Take the Incredible City of London but Leave the British Education System Past Review
By Elizabeth F (Math, Wellesley College) for
University College London (UCL): London - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I loved getting to learn about a different culture firsthand. Being able to live in London alone made the program worthwhile. It is such an amazing city, and I loved getting to know it.
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. |
My three math classes were excellent in both material and instruction, albeit challenging. My computer science class was dreadful; the lecturer seemed to despise his students, who naturally disliked him back in turn. I did not like the education system. There was very little homework during the semester and no exams. This meant that unless you put in a lot of extra effort, which is difficult to do while abroad, you're not necessarily keeping up with the material. I simply had a one-hour final exam for each class at the end of term which determined my entire grade. As a result, I had a lot of free time during the semester but was studying nonstop for the last week or two. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The location of my housing, Campbell House East, was excellent. I was about a five minute walk from campus. I lived mostly with local freshmen, which was actually pretty fun. My housing was self-catered, so I needed to buy kitchenware. I also needed to buy bed linens. My kitchen was too small, in my opinion, and there was never enough fridge/freezer space. It was also extremely dirty, although this probably had more to do with its inhabitants than the kitchen itself. Overall I was happy with my housing, though. The dorm was nice, and the location can't be beat. |
| * Food: |
Self-catered. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I enjoyed the few trips I took away from London tremendously. I would definitely suggest going on day or weekend trips throughout Britain in addition to a couple bigger trips to other countries. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
If anything, I probably felt more safe in London than I should have given that it IS a big city. I never encountered any problems. I know some people who were pickpocketed, but as long as you're aware of yourself and everything you've taken with you, you'll be fine. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I probably spent about £50 - £80 on food a week, depending upon whether or not I went out. The big expense was alcohol. Going to the student union bar, then a cheap club later in the night usually cost around £20. Going to a nicer bar or club is even more expensive. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Like I said, if you plan on drinking, be aware of how expensive it will be. Look for cheaper bars and pubs; there are some good ones near the campus. Other than that, just know that London is expensive. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Don't take classes that are too difficult or important to your overall degree, if you can. It's much nicer to enjoy living in London without worrying too much about classes, especially with the differences in the British education system. Do as much traveling as you can! You'll find that you run out of time towards the end of the semester, so take advantage of all that free time you have at the beginning. |
