Loving London!! Past Review

By (International Business & Management, Villanova University) - abroad from 01/09/2012 to 04/28/2012 with

Villanova University: London or Singapore - Global Citizens Program

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It was a fantastic experience! London is a great city with so much to offer, and the program sets us up right in central London is a great neighborhood with free transportation throughout the city. The internships were great and gave us really good international experience.

Personal Information

If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: N/A
How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

We did our own grocery shopping, so the quality of food varied from person to person depending on what someone bought. Although the program took us to a welcome lunch and farewell dinner, which were good.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

We discussed the NHS a lot in classes, but I never had any personal experiences with it.

* Safety:

I never felt unsafe.

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

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)

Our only necessary expense was food-- housing and transport covered by the program. But London itself is a very expensive city, so it was still a decent amount.

* Was housing included in your program cost? Yes
* Was food included in your program cost? No
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? About £100-£150

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • Lived in a great area
  • Free transport all over central London
  • Great internship opportunities
* What could be improved?
  • More interaction with students outside Villanova
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? How much I would spend! Very expensive