Experience at UCL Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I took classes in both the History of Art and the Anthropology departments, but the History of Art department was my "home" department. This meant that I became familiar with the History of Art department through orientation, while I didn't get to experience the same level of familiarity through the Anthropology department. The Anthropology classes met for lecture and had a separate tutorial session, which was basically a smaller seminar class that discussed the readings in depth. This initially confused me at first, but I got the hang of it after the first week. The professors seemed used to dealing with international students, so they were open when asked about procedures for formatting assignments, turning them in, etc. The final assignments for my courses were all papers due at the end of the term (Dec/Jan), so it is really up to you how much time you want to spend on doing the readings for class. With the Anthropology tutorials, you were expected to contribute to the conversations about the readings, while in my art history classes, the readings weren't a big part of the actual lecture. Everything seemed to vary on the department and the professor.

On-site administration of your program

The History of Art affiliate tutor (Diana) was extremely helpful at the beginning of the term in regards to helping us pick classes and getting us acclimated to the expectations of the department.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I chose to live in university accommodations, which ended up being in a co-ed suite in Schafer House. It was really close to campus, several Tube/bus stops, and right around the corner from Sainsbury's (grocery store). You do have to cook for yourself though, which some people might not be a fan of (one of my flatmates got delivery a lot).

I made most of my own food, and there are plenty of restaurants in the nearby area to satisfy your taste buds.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I expected to meet more British people than I actually did. I didn't feel like the classes were structured in a way that offered a lot of time to chat with the people around you, and the suite set-up of the university housing meant that I didn't really get to know any of my neighbors. That being said, most of my friends were affiliates from other countries because we were all not UK citizens. London is pretty similar to New York City in terms of brands and restaurants and things, so this might not be the place for you if you're looking for a more traditional "British" experience.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

This didn't apply to me since I didn't have to use the healthcare system at all. I brought my own medicine (NyQuil, Benadryl, etc) that was able to take care of minor colds. I felt that Wellesley had prepared me on what to do in case I ever did have a major health problem. UCL's campus is also literally right next to their hospital, so if anything major happens you could be seen there.

There are visible safety measures around campus (campus security and CCTV) and around the student housing (key fob access and CCTV). Two people I knew got their phones stolen though, so be cautious when you have your phone out in your hand while walking around. I did hear students talking about knives being pulled on them near their residences (non-university owned), but this occurred by a building that was further from campus in a sketchier part of the city. As long as you're cautious and aware of your surroundings, you should be fine.

I was looking for a program that would let me experience the British education system while being in the heart of London, and I feel that UCL met that expectation.

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

I kept track of my spending, so during weeks where I wasn't out a lot I spent around £125 a week. When I was traveling to different cities around England, I would spend around £225 a week. I tried to cut costs when I wasn't doing fun things so that I could afford to spend more when I had days where I was out and about. I didn't spend a lot of money at restaurants/clubs, but more on travel and experiences that I knew that I could only get while abroad.

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• Dorm

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

• being in a classroom environment
• getting to explore London
• living with other international students

• the orientation offered by UCL
• the communication from the second department
• orientation events for affiliates only

The Academic or Linguist