Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Intense but worth it January 04, 2022

By (Wellesley College) - abroad from 09/05/2021 to 12/10/2021 with

University of Cambridge, Pembroke College: Cambridge - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned how to navigate a foreign country alone, which is very worthwhile

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.

It was extremely rigorous but I felt like I learned a lot over the course of the program.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

I received a lot of support from the administrators of my program and they were very welcoming

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

We lived in an old house--the bathrooms were not the best but the rooms were good.

* Food:

Not a lot of options for vegetarians but it tasted good

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I spent a lot of time with people in my program but I did interact with fulltime students

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I got ill in October and essentially had to ride it out.

* Safety:

I found the city to be pretty safe

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

I had a lot of fun and made a lot of good friends

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)

I saved money because I knew that I was going to travel a lot. But it's still fairly expensive

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? Roughly 30 pounds
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? try to find cheap eats wherever you are so that you don't have to spend a lot of money

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
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
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?
  • all the friends I made
  • the library system
  • the places I visited
* What could be improved?
  • the bathroom situation
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? It's going to be very intense--but you can always ask for help and you don't need to do everything to the max

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 Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!