Sub-par academics, but a great opportunity to travel through europe Past Review
By Elena Najjab (Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/14/2017 to 05/10/2017 with
University of Westminster: London - Study Abroad Semester or Year with an Optional Internship
I learned a lot about English culture and how to travel. I gained a lot of self-awareness and confidence about my ability to live on my own. It was definitely worthwhile to come!
Personal Information
How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I learned a lot while at the University of Westminster. However, I feel I would have learned more if I had signed up for more relevant classes. This could be fixed if there was more information available to study abroad students about what each class entails and what regular students are expected to take. (If I had taken all of the same classes as the regular students, I think it would have helped me a lot.) |
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The people working at the study abroad office are nice, but they weren't informed on the classes. |
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I had my own private bathroom. My room wasn't large, but it was big enough. Although Harrow campus was further outside of central London than I expected, I was very happy with housing. |
* Food: |
Indian food is great around Harrow Campus (especially Taste of Lahoor). But actual British food is fairly bland. The on-campus Cantina was very good for cafeteria food. |
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Because I applied directly to the University of Westminster, I had way more interactions with full-time students than most of my peers who studied abroad elsewhere. I feel that I now have a good understanding of English culture. |
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I did not need any healthcare while abroad, but this website won't let me finish this survey without answering this question. |
* Safety: |
London had two terrorist attacks while I was studying there. I don't think there's anything that can really be done to predict where those are going to happen. But because the Harrow campus is on the edges of London and not particularly close to crowded tourist areas, I felt very safe there. |
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I would do direct enrollement again, but only because I had two friends who did this with me. Otherwise, I would have been very lonely and confused about basic things that I think they tell you when you use an actual program (such as how to get my phone to work and what transportation options to use). |
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) |
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Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $80 |
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | The "meal deal" (£3 for a sandwich, drink, and side item) can be found in any Tesco or Sainsbury's. They also offer it at the Costa and the Student Union shop inside the Forum on Harrow campus. It's a lifesaver! |
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 |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 0 |
A Look Back
* What did you like most about the program? |
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* What could be improved? |
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* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I'd known how much less human interaction I would get by enrolling directly. I did not have the built-in friend group that many students who used a program did. Ultimately, I think that taught me a lot more about myself, but I was also much lonelier at the beginning of the semester than I thought I would be. Also, download City Mapper!!! It's way more helpful for navigation in London than Google Maps. |
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 LinguistYou 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! |