Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

I fell in love with London - UCL just played matchmaker. Past Review

By (Wellesley College) - abroad from 09/17/2019 to 12/14/2018 with

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

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
My experience was absolutely worthwhile. I learned a lot about myself as a person and a traveler - especially how I handle being alone. Living in an single for the first time and doing a bit of solo travel meant that I had a lot of time by myself.

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.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Administrators are very helpful on an individual basis but overall there is very little guidance if you don't search it out yourself.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

(N/A) I was not on a meal plan and did not eat at UCL cafes, so I can't speak to food quality. The food in London itself is amazing!!

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I really only made friends with other Americans, but this is most likely because I didn't join any clubs or societies.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

(N/A) I did not have an experience with healthcare.

* Safety:

I felt safe 95% of the time in London. Only had one small incident with a drunk man near King's Cross. Just be smart and you'll have no problem staying safe.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

There's simply no better place to be than in the middle of London, so I'd choose UCL again in a heartbeat. The actual educational experience was not my favorite, but I think it was just a shock to my system after coming from a small liberal arts school.

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)

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

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Location/London
* What could be improved?
  • Some classes (I often had lecturers who just read directly off of slides/paper)
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I would have started the 'study' part of my study abroad experience a bit earlier. I wasn't used to the model of having a lot of large assignments at the end of the term and very few (or none) throughout, so I started much too late and ended up not having a very fun time for my last month or so. Pace yourself and you can have fun the whole time!