Incredibly enriching, but can be lonely Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Everything I wanted it to be: challenging, intense, focused, and rigorous. The one-on-one attention you get from your supervisors can be a little daunting, but it's invaluable.

On-site administration of your program

Though I personally didn't experience this, a number of program-mates received conflicting or completely contradictory information from the Directors of Study and/or supervisors.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Mostly typical, completely adequate dorm-style housing (though my top-floor room had a heating problem). The biggest problems were, first, that a number of program-mates were housed rather far away from the Pembroke campus, making it hard for them to socialize with Pembroke students, and second, those of us housed nearby lived with only other American students, making it more difficult to get to know the full-time students.

Decent and affordable. Formal Hall is awesome (and cheap, for what it is!) and so is weekend brunch, the Indian dinner dishes are great, and lunch was often very good. Weirdly, a significant percentage of the dinners weren't very appetizing (the very British ones especially), but there's always pasta and a good salad bar. This didn't affect me personally, but I noticed that very little effort is made to provide yummy vegetarian (much less vegan) food, and there's basically zero consideration of kosher or halal requirements. Thanks to the flexible academic schedule, it's fairly doable to cook decent meals for yourself. Sainsbury's is wonderful.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

This is mostly due to my personality (shy) and choices (not participating in extracurriculars), but not very to not at all. People who were unusually outgoing and/or participated in higher time commitment extracurriculars, especially choir, drama, or sports, made lots of friends quickly. You really do have to put yourself out there, because no one is going to hold your hand. Arriving in the middle of the year means most full-time students already have established friend groups, and they're not going to seek you out. It's not that people aren't friendly, but I do feel that British students tend to err on the side of respecting people's space and privacy. There is nothing wrong with that, but it does make it harder to start friendships. So, again: if you are shy and not interested in the extracurriculars mentioned above, consider a full-year program, because it will be hard for you to make friends outside the other Americans if you arrive mid-year.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

The College nurse, Jan, knows her stuff and cares deeply about her job. She's very good at finding and hooking you up with relevant resources, and she's extraordinarily warm besides. She even visited one very ill student in my program at home to check on her, bring various medications, Gatorade (Lukoaide), etc. You will have to pay in cash for any medical care beyond visiting the College Nurse, but what I experienced was prompt, competent, and relatively inexpensive. Notably, University Counselling Services are both free and very good (you will not end up sitting across from some grad student--it's all experienced professionals), but there is often a long waiting list.

In the parts of the town I frequented, I never felt unsafe, even late at night. Cambridge is extremely safe. The crime rate is very low, especially in the city center. Plus, I experienced zero street harassment. Take reasonable precautions and you're unlikely to have any issues.

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

Relatively easily. I even traveled to three other countries! Because I was mostly supporting myself (including food, my UK cell phone bill, toiletries, etc.) and was not able to work, I did run through my $3000+ savings while I was there. It WILL be more expensive than your school predicts, especially because you'll have to replace things you didn't think you'd need or couldn't carry, and because extracurriculars, many student events, etc., almost always cost money.

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• Americans

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• intellectually-challenging, with strong one-one-attention
• beautiful, historical university with fun traditions
• tons of great events to attend, from Union debates to excellent stand-up comedy

• difficult to integrate with full-time students
• inconvenient housing for many