Department History Degree Programme (e.g. BA French and Russian) BA History Year in which abroad 2012/13 Where did you spend your first semester abroad? United States of America Type of Placement University Placement Where did you spend your second semester abroad? Same place as the first semester Before Departure How would you rate your preparation by your department(s)? Very Good Please give details/feedback and suggest any improvements: How would you rate your preparation by the Study Abroad Team? Very Good Please give details/feedback and suggest any improvements: Did you attend the Pre-Departure briefing organised by the Study Abroad Team in March? If yes, did you find it useful? Please give feedback/suggest any improvements: Provided all the necessary information How would you rate your own preparation ahead of studying abroad? Good
Could you have done more to prepare yourself before leaving UCL? If so, please give details: Researched alternative housing options Could you have been better prepared by UCL? If so, please give details: No As part of your preparation, did you do any of the following (tick all that apply): - Contact the Study Abroad Team - Consult the resources in Moodle or on the Study Abroad website - Consult previous students' study abroad questionnaires - Consult your host institution's website If you contacted the Study Abroad Team, what did you seek advice about? Did you find the advice useful? Documents/ visa etc. Helpful advice. Prior to departure, were you given clear instructions by your department on what was expected of you academically during your year abroad? How did you prepare yourself for the academic aspect of your year abroad programme? Course selection, using rate my proffesor website etc What advice would you offer to students prior to making a decision about where to study abroad? Consider cultural aspects, financial demands, travel plans What advice would you give to students preparing to go abroad? What things should they make sure to do ahead of beginning their year abroad? research the chosen country/ university as much as possible. read reviews written by attending students etc, or online magazines.
Your Placement - University Name of your host university: UPenn Location (city and country): Philadelphia, USA Was your university placement part of an ERASMUS or other exchange programme? When did you receive confirmation of acceptance from the host university? Spring 2012 When did your placement start? September 1st 2012 How did you get to your placement? Please give rough details of the journey and costs: Book flights as far ahead as possible, using skyscanner or other means to get a good price Enrolment and Course Registration Please describe the enrolment process at your host university. What formalities did you have to complete, and, in particular, what documents did you need to have in order to enrol? (e.g. carte de séjour, passport, nomination letter). As an international student, were you given any special help with enrolment? Getting Penn cards, immunisation forms, J1 etc. Were any special orientation events/meetings provided for study abroad students? If so, please give details.
- going over necessary admin, exchange student socials, academic sessions, introduction to school life. Is there any advice you would give to future students ahead of enrolling at this university? Attending the info sessions makes life easier Registering for Courses How easy was it to finalise and register your course choices? Very easy Please give details of the procedures and how to choose or change courses: Online course selection, lists of courses to choos etc. Was obtaining information about courses and timetables difficult or simple? Simple If difficult, what advice would you offer on how to obtain the information? Academic Life At your host university, who helped you with the academic or administrative aspects of your year abroad? Please tick all that apply: - International Office / Erasmus Office Please give names of helpful individuals if possible: Rochelle Keesler Please indicate what kind of help you received (e.g. with course registration; general academic advice; specific assistance with coursework; specific assistance with dissertation preparation; instructions concerning coursework; instructions concerning assessment): Course selection through "penn in touch" website
Please comment on the number of classes you took and how many hours a week that constituted in the classroom. Please also mention the amount of work you had to do outside class on average: 4 classes about 12 hrs a week. I studied on average about 2 hours a day outside of class. Obviously more when finals/mid terms are imminent. Please describe the nature of the classes (i.e. large lectures, smaller seminar groups etc.) What was the average lecture/class size? Depends on the course - some large elctures with small discussion groups, some a hybrid lecture/seminar class. Please describe the mode of assessment for the courses you took (e.g. written/oral exam, essay/project etc.) and its timing (e.g. mid or end of year). Were there coursework requirements (presentations, essays etc.)? Written exams, coursework essays, participation grades, some assignments. Please comment on the availability and approachability of teaching staff at your host university: Easy to approach during class or office hours. How would you rate the teaching at your host university: Good How would you rate the selection of courses offered: Very good How would you rate the intellectual level of the material covered: Very good How would you rate the difficulty of the courses at your host university compared to UCL: The same as UCL Please give details:
More work throughout the year than at UCL, but virtually no independent research is required. Marking on essays is slightly less harsh although many courses depend on the professor. If you attended a university where the language of instruction was not English, did you experience any language difficulties? No Did your tutors make allowances for your not being a native speaker? If yes, please give details: Facilities Library provision: Large library. Access to computers, internet etc.: Computer rooms everywhere. Clubs and societies (type, range, and cost): A vast range of societies catering for sport, social, etc... Sporting facilities (type, range, and cost): Sport facilities at Penn were vastly superior to UCL - two colossal gyms, countless football pitches, tennis courts, baseball, basketball etcc Other: Summary Why did you choose to spend your year abroad at this university in particular?
Good academic reputation,close to NY, weather is better but closer to english weather than the SOuth etc Are you glad that you did so? Would you recommend this university to future UCL students? Please explain why: Strong academics, very good facilities, fun social scene, plenty of interesting exchange students How would you rate the placement overall? Very good How would you rate the placement within the context of your degree programme? Very good Is there any specific advice you would offer to students considering a placement at this university? No What type of accommodation did you obtain? Accommodation provided by your host institution Accommodation How did you obtain your accommodation? Please describe the application process, when you applied, and when you received confirmation:
Applied online What was the average monthly rent? What was included in this cost (e.g. bills, internet, food etc.)? Please give as much detail as possible about the costs associated with your accommodation: $4600 per semester Internet included How early could you move in? Three days before NSO Did you have to vacate the premises during the holidays? How would you rate the accommodation provided? Satisfactory Please describe the type of accommodation you stayed in, its location and level of comfort. Did you have a single or double room? What were the kitchen and other facilities like? What was or wasn't provided (e.g. bedding, kitchen utensils)? Did you feel that the accommodation represented good value for money? Dorms, in the quad. Had pros and cons. My own room, not much is provided. Plenty of free pizza and snacks in study breaks. Did you live with local students, or with other foreign students? Were the halls a good place to practice your language skills and interact with local students?
Would you recommend this accommodation to future students? Is there any other advice you would like to share with future students looking for accommodation in your host town/city? Consider off campus accomadation Finance How much money did you need on arrival (e.g. for housing deposits, rent and other start-up costs)? 1. Cost of Living Rent (per month): 1300$ Bills (electricity, gas, water, internet, phone etc.): Books (overall amount spent on books during your stay): 300$ Food (weekly): A (simple) meal (in a cafe or restaurant): 12$ A coffee (in a cafe or bar): 3$ A beer (in a cafe or bar): 3$ A cinema ticket: 6$
Local travel (weekly): Entertainment (weekly): 50$ Any other regular costs: In total, how much did you spend per month on average? 1600$ How would you rate the cost of living in your host town/city when compared to London? Cheaper Please give details. Were there certain things which were more expensive than in the UK, and others which were cheaper? almost everything is cheaper 2. Working Is supplementing your income through part-time work a viable option? No If yes, do you have any advice about what type of work to look for, or where to look? Please give the names of any employers or agencies you worked for, and any newspapers, websites or notice boards you would recommend: Does your host institution help with finding part-time work? 3. Banking Did you open a bank account in your host country? No No: If no, why not? How did you access money while abroad?
Would you recommend opening a local bank account? If so, which bank(s) or account(s) would you recommend? General 1. Social Factors (Opportunities and Ease of Meeting People) How much interaction did you have with local students? A lot How much interaction did you have with other international students? A lot In your experience, what were the best ways of meeting people? Making an effort to build a social circle including Americans and exchange students, going out a lot If you were studying in a country where the local language is not English, how often did you speak the local language? 2. Mobile Phones Would you recommend getting a mobile phone with a local tariff as well as/instead of your English mobile? Please give details. Are there any mobile providers you would recommend? Verizon was decent Transport Was local transport good or bad? Please give details of local transport you used: Subway in Philly was cheap and adequate. Taxis are very cheap when with 4 people often cheaper than transport
What was the cost of local transport? Are there any special deals or discounts for students? Sometimes Did you travel more widely within your host country or within the region? How easy was it to travel, and was it expensive to do so?. Buses are usually the cheapest but Spirit airlines is extremely cheap when booked in advance Life in your Host Country Please comment on the social life and entertainment in your host city/country, or any other aspects of life there which you would like to share: Interesting soical life, very different to UK Is there any advice you would give to someone preparing to live in your host city/country? Get involved as much as possible Did you experience any problems/difficulties while living in your host city which you would like to share with the Study Abroad Team? Medical problems can be very expensive even with insurance Study Abroad - Summary Did you find your year abroad rewarding academically? Please give reasons for your answer: Very good professors Did you find your year abroad rewarding in non-academic respects? Please give reasons for your answer:
Immersion in a different country very interesting How would you rate your year abroad experience overall? Very good Please give reasons for your answer: Do you feel that you have developed skills which will be of use to you in future? a) My cultural awareness: b) My language proficiency: Is the same c) My independence: d) My self confidence: e) My intellectual development: f) My personal development: g) My ability to make decisions: h) My ability to explore and create opportunities: i) My ability to cope with difficult situations: j) My ability to solve problems:
How would you rate the support you received from your department at UCL during your time abroad? Good Please give details/feedback and suggest any improvements: How would you rate the support you received from the UCL Study Abroad Team during your time abroad? Good Please give details/feedback and suggest any improvements: Are there any other comments you would like to make? No