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Comments about the Cass Business School at City University from Past Participants
for more complete comments, please check out the binders in the student lounge, 215b DKH
Useful Advice
"Overall my experience was incredible. I had the time of my life and would go again in a heartbeat. I give my experience a 10 and I want future students to know that even though London is expensive it is so worth it. You have the rest of your life to make money, so take one semester to just spend it all!"
-Amanda Schweitzer, Spring 07
"I cannot speak highly enough of my study abroad experience. I had extremely high expectations and my experience surpassed anything I could have imagined. I had the time of my life and cannot wait to return to the city that never ceased to amaze and entertain me. I love sharing stories with friends, encouraging others to go abroad, and of course, reminiscing with the best friends I made while in London. There are few things you remember the rest of your life, but this is without a doubt an experience I will take with me forever. It is easy to find excuses not to study abroad, but once you wholly commit yourself, it’s nearly impossible not to come back a changed person with a new outlook on life. A semester will never go quicker - seize the moment, enjoy each day, and take lots of pictures! Don’t hesitate to contact me with questions or for more information, I would be more than happy to help!"
-Allison Cruise, Spring 07
"It may be common knowledge especially if one has experience traveling internationally but I did not know what to bring to get through customs. The literature that I received from the office only recommended bringing a letter from your bank verifying adequate funds. This document was of no consequence when I arrived. Instead make sure you have your official acceptance letter (I only had an email from the office saying that I was accepted), proof of accomodation (mine had not yet arrived) and print out your return airline ticket instead of relying on electronic tickets. It would also be a good idea to study up on how exactly to get everywhere for the first few days. I got by wth very little of this information with some difficulty and by relying on the kindness of strangers."
Sam Harper, Fall 06
"I wish I could have been more emotionally prepared for the culture shock I experienced. I was very overwhelmed and unsure of myself the first 2 days. For a short time, I wondered what I had gotten myself into and if I would have been happier staying in Champaign for the semester. After about 48 hours, I could not have been more pleased with my decision to study abroad. I wish I would have known that it was okay to question myself or be scared and that it may just take a few days to get acclimated. Also, it is important to remember that your suitcase cannot possibly contain all the comforts of home, or a classic dorm room. At least initially, you may have to accept the fact that the internet may take a day or two to hook up, and the pillow you were given is hard. It is important to stay flexible and maintain a positive attitude. The good news is that these things become less important or even unnoticeable over time! If nothing else, it makes you appreciate home! I would recommend arriving at least a week before City U orientation. Having a week to explore the city and do touristy things takes away the initial pressure to do as much as possible without classes getting in the way. It is also a great opportunity to meet people and make friends! Make sure you bring plenty of UK to US outlet adapters, and check out the voltage to make sure it doesn’t need to be converted! Also, pack a towel or two and if you have space, bring your own toiletries. It is nice to have everything for a shower right when you get there."
-Allison Cruise, Spring 07
“The best advice I received before I left came from others who studied abroad before me. Their advice saved me money, kept me out of unsafe situations and allowed me to have more fun. I also would like to tell anyone who is even thinking about studying abroad to do it. I was very hesitant and very unsure about going, and thanks to the trust I had in those who had gone before me, I made the best decision of my life and spent three months in London.” – Brendan Carter, Sp 06
“I would say that my study abroad experience was the best thing I possibly could have done while in college. I learned a great deal during my time in London, and what I learned were things that I could not have possibly learned anywhere else. I feel that I grew up a lot during this experience, and I am grateful I was able to take advantage of this opportunity offered by the College of Business.”
“My experience in London was amazing! I will never regret my decision to go abroad, and if I could do it again, I would in a heartbeat. I will never be able to experience what I did in my three months in Europe again. I think it is very important to sit down with someone who has been there and been through it to answer your questions.” – Katie Allen, Sp 06
“Overall, I had a great experience abroad. The ability to travel, see new places, meet people from all over the world was very gratifying. It was one of the best experiences of my life and I feel like I have a different mindset now.” - Steve Mathias, Sp 06
“I learned about different cultures, countries and beliefs from people I met from all over the world. If you enjoy meeting new people this is a great opportunity. Now I feel like I have connections all over the world.”
“My experience was great! I had so much fun going sightseeing, going to shows, trying new foods, and traveling every weekend. I would like future students to know that it is important to book trips ahead of time and to double check that coursework is handed in correctly and is actually received. Make the best of your trip—you are only able to be so flexible like this once in your life. Take all the trips you can, see all the shows you can, and experience the London nightlife as much as you can.” – Hemali Mehta, Sp 06
“I never understood when people said, 'You have to experience it to realize how amazing and life-changing it is.' I understand completely now. It was the best three months of my life and I would recommend it to anyone. There is not much I have to say to potential study-abroad students except to do it if you have the chance.” – Grant Swanson, Fall 05
“I had the most amazing time of my life. I would encourage anyone and everyone to study in London and travel Europe.” – Miranda Fabian, Sp 05
“Overall – I had a great semester. London was the perfect choice with plenty of things to do in the city, lots of traveling opportunities with almost all direct flights to/from London and trains/bus trips to take you around the rest of the country. I saw everything I wanted to and traveled everywhere I could afford to in only 3 months. I enjoyed myself more than I thought I would. It’s the kind of experience that you are literally sad to go to the airport for your flight home and you miss London a lot for months when you get back. You can’t help but plan a time when you can go back again.” – Annie Graham, Sp 05
“My overall experience was incredible. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I want future study abroad students to make the best of their experience, and just know some of the basics before they go. I want the students to know about the tube pass, how to get to school, where to go out at night, great restaurants, just some things to get them started. You figure it out this way. This makes it such a great experience.” – Katrina Carrizales, Sp 05
“Overall, I had an absolutely amazing experience. It was one of the best semesters of my life, and I am very thankful that I had the opportunity to study abroad. I just want to express how great this whole study abroad program was and how much I encourage other students to go.” – Sanaz Mobasseri, Sp 05
“My experience was unbelievably amazing, which is saying something because I went in with very high expectations. I traveled to 7 countries, met a ton of new people that I talk to via e-mail, earned very good grades…There’s nothing I would change.” – Nick Bobich, Sp 05
“This was absolutely by far the best experience of my college years. I would trade it for nothing. Through this experience I found my future home, which I am very thankful for. It is important that these students respect the cultures and customers and the country they are visiting and they will find out that the people are very welcoming and warm to be around.” – Sylvia Werem, Sp 05
Location
"London was absolutely the best location for me to study abroad. Although an obvious choice because of a common language, London still offered a culture unlike that in the United States and with it a set of experiences that go unmatched. Living in such a big and exciting city never left a dull moment and offered a variety of opportunities to embrace the unique culture. From beautiful sites to thrilling musicals to unrivaled nightlife, I never ran out of things to do or see. London was also fairly accessible to mainland Europe and allowed me to visit 6 other countries while abroad. Although I had an amazing time on weekend trips as a tourist, London still stood out above the rest as the perfect place to call “home” for a semester."
-Allison Cruise, Spring 07
“London is a world class city and a great spot to experience new things. Chelsea location (housing) was very nice and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to live in one of the nicest areas in London.”
“I have no complaints about London other than it’s expensive which I was prepared for going in.” – Steve Mathias, Sp 06
"Chelsea is very far from Islington, so getting to classes was a pain. It takes about an hour no matter which way you go, so it's hard to motivate yourself to go."
-Amanda Schweitzer, Spring 07
“As far as the location of the university, I along with most of the other students, liked where our school was located. The campus was small and easy to navigate, and there were a lot of facilities, restaurants, and other establishments close by the area.”
“It was a general consensus that we were too far away from campus, as well as from the rest of the students at the university. It took over 45 minutes everyday to get to class (on a tube ride), and even longer to reach the residence halls of all the other students. Unfortunately University of Illinois students were the only ones living this far away from school, so it was hard to get to know a lot of the other study abroad students in London.” – Rebecca Launhardt, Sp 06
“London is one of the most amazing cities in the world. As modern as it is, it still retains a lot of its origins. You can walk amongst buildings which are still in use today that are hundreds of years old. I love how it stays true to its traditions of royalty and properness. I also loved London’s diversity. I met people from every corner of the world. London also invests much in the arts and other cultural activities. London’s location also makes it very easy to travel to other parts of Europe”
“The exchange rate was very bad. The exchange rate basically made things twice as expensive for us. Food in London was just ok. Also, I wished the weather was nicer. Other than those complaints, there is nothing else bad that I can say about London. It is an incredible city.”– Brendan Carter, Sp 06
“I loved being in the big city, and London was amazing. I learned so much about the history and culture. It was unbelievable how proud Londoners are of where they live and everything that goes along with it. There was never a dull moment while we were there. No matter what kind of person you are, there is definitely something for everyone. Also, even though it is a city, there were plenty of places within the city limits that you could enjoy a slower pace. The parks are so beautiful, and there is a lot of green space in London.”
“The only bad thing about the UK when we were there was that is was pretty cold the whole time. It was not as extreme as the cold here but it never got very warm. It just would have been better conditions for sightseeing, but if I had been there for a summer program I also would not have been able to see all that I did. I was pleasantly surprised that it did not rain as much as I expected, but it still remained cloudy or overcast the majority of the time.” – Katie Allen, Sp 06
“The city of London was the best choice I made. I loved the metropolitan atmosphere and the people. There was always something to do. The tube is a great way to get around the city and the buses are convenient too. The school seems far from the housing in the beginning, but then you get used to it. Make sure to take classes only 3 – 4 times a week so you have enough time to travel.”
“The location was really a metropolitan feeling – something I was looking for. The weather was always cloudy, cold and misty. If you are looking for a warm climate, London is not the right place.” – Hemali Mehta, Sp 06
“London is an absolutely amazing place to live. I spent one semester there and lived in the prestigious Chelsea area in the IES Residence Hall. Chelsea was a great place to live. There was shopping and nightlife all around. In addition, the neighborhood felt like it was one of the safest in London. The soccer stadium was about a half-mile away and you cannot help but loving the game along with everyone else.” – Grant Swanson, Fall 05
“London itself was absolutely amazing. Besides the astronomical exchange rate, I could not imagine a better place to study abroad for business and finance classes.” – Miranda Fabian, Sp 05
“London is an amazing city with a lot of things to do. It’s very easy to get around with the buses and subway, which allows you to do just about anything you want safely. There were great clubs and restaurants, plays and musicals, great shopping, beautiful parks and amazing museums. Even with 3+ months there, you can’t possible see enough of London.”
“London is expensive – everything is about 2x as much. A quick lunch at a pub will cost about $15+ for a burger and fries, diet coke is about $2 – 3 for a 20 oz bottle; drinks at clubs are $10 – 15, and groceries are the same ratio. You get used to it and you find ways around it by going to early dinner specials, splitting grocery items, or using websites to find student/discount s for clubs/pubs. There is even a pub a block from the dorm that has a 2 for the price of 1 limited dinner menu that makes your dinner only about $7.” – Annie Nickel, Sp 05
“Living in Chelsea was a great experience. The area is beautiful, very high-class, and safe. Everything was very close as far as the night life, shopping, food, restaurants, and recreation. I was able to meet with a lot of people and truly had a fabulous experience in London. The tube system was also within walking distance. Having everything within the tips of my fingers was very beneficial and only added to my experience.”
“The location was great. It was rather far, an hour, from school, however, everything that is offered was excellent. I definitely would recommend staying in Chelsea; it was a very nice area.” – Katrina Carrizales, Spring 05
“Our location in London was absolutely amazing. We were in the heart of good restaurants, pubs and plenty of shopping. Also the proximity to bus stops and tube stations was very desirable for anyone living in a big city. With all night busses running right outside the dorm, it was very easy and safe to get home after late nights.”
“Our location was approximately a one-hour commute to school. However, this is a minor disadvantage as commuting anywhere in London takes at least a half an hour and the benefits of the location far outweigh the commute.” – Sanaz Mobasseri, Sp 05
“It was unbelievable living not only in London but in arguably the nicest area, Chelsea. London has the best blend of the “old” and “new” in terms of sights, activities, and thing-to-do, both during the day and at night.” – Nick Bobich, Sp 05
“I thought that the location was great because it was a very cultural area. There were many young people around the area, it was also close to grocery stores, the tube, and the bus was right outside our door that took us straight to Cass. It was an extremely beautiful neighborhood, with lots of history & culture.”
“I can honestly say that there was not one thing I found bad about my experience in Chelsea; in fact I hope to get a job out there after graduation and am planning on looking for apartments in that area.” – Sylvia Werem, Sp 05
Courses
"The courses are much easier and less demanding than anything you take at the University of Illinois. You are able to travel and sightsee a lot because school is very unrestrictive."
-Amanda Schweitzer, Spring 07
"Classes in London at City University were far different from those at the University of Illinois. The exchange program was only 10 weeks, with each class generally meeting once a week for a two hour session. Limited class time allowed for long weekend travel opportunities to experience other great cities! Business class sizes were generally smaller and significantly less time consuming. In most classes, a term paper and exam or alternative project were the only graded assignments. I also had the opportunity to take classes about London history and theater with other exchange students. It was a great way to learn about the city and interact with other exchange students. Overall, classes were drastically different from those at U of I, but it was a great change of pace for the semester. Some courses were better than others in terms of lecture material, professor interaction, and subject matter. I highly recommend taking Historic London and Performing Arts in London. This “hands on” type of learning experience with a knowledgeable instructor made these classes my “favourite”. It was also hard to adjust to 2-3 hour lectures when generally used to 50 minutes classes at U of I. Furthermore, it was difficult if not impossible to get feedback on progress in class because the only 2 graded assignments were turned in at the end of the term. I choose to take my courses pass/fail, which took some of the pressure off. "
-Allison Cruise, Spring 07
"I wish I would have picked more classes, so I would have had a larger selection when I got to London."
-Laura Janko, Spring 07
“My favorite courses were the ones we were able to take that were strictly for exchange students and had to do with London. I took both History of London and Performing Arts in London, and I feel that if I did not take these courses I would not have gotten nearly as much out of my experience as I did. I really enjoyed going to shows in the Performing Arts class, and during the history class we did sightseeing that I would not have known about if it weren’t for the class. I think that these courses were much more valuable than the business courses I could just as well take at home. I could never take a course strictly about London at the University of Illinois, and even if I could, there is no way it could even compare.”
“The courses took some getting used to because the school system works differently there, and the workload was completely different than what we are accustomed to at the University of Illinois. I did not like the fact that you had no indication of how you were doing throughout the semester. You didn't know if you were doing well or poorly so that you could fix it. This had to do with the workload and the fact that on average each class only had one graded assignment and an exam, but it was still frustrating since it is not at all what we are used to doing. There is nothing that can be done about these types of things though, it is just adapting to something new.” – Katie Allen, Sp 06
“I enjoyed my courses at City University. I took 5 courses: Equity Investment Management, International Business Environment, Personal Finance, Historic London and Performing Arts in London. My favorite class was Historic London. It was so interesting to learn all about London’s long, tumultuous history. What made the course even better was the fact that I was living among the history in which I was learning about. Performing Arts was an interesting class because it was a subject which I had never learned about before. The other three business classes were not only interesting but beneficial to my major.”
“Courses in the UK give students a lot more freedom than they do at home. They have a much smaller workload and a large majority of your final grade is dependent on your final exam. I did not like how almost 70% of our final grades could be determined by our final exams. Also, I thought only meeting once a week for class made it difficulty to mentally retain the material.” – Brendan Carter, Sp 06
“I took a variety of courses, with an emphasis in marketing while I was abroad. I absolutely loved my two marketing courses abroad: Marketing Management and Management of Innovation and Change. They’ve been two of the most worthwhile courses I’ve taken at the university level, and I would highly recommend them to any student planning a study abroad at Cass Business School. I also really enjoyed a class called Performing Arts in History because it gave us a change to learn more about the arts in London, and we had the opportunity to actually go and see five various productions throughout the semester.” – Rebecca Launhardt, Sp 06
“The teachers and teaching style allowed for a lot of personal responsibility and a very English insight into the business world.”
“There is very little interaction with other English students. Most of the people we worked with on projects were other study abroad students.” – Steve Mathias, Sp 06
“The courses were relatively easy and the assignments were not too time consuming. The classes only met once a week so that was nice for traveling. Each class had about one paper and one type of assignment/test for the final. It is a lot less stressful than it is attending courses here.”
“The classes were not structured so great. Sometimes I felt a little confused in classes and the professors were not always willing to help. You don’t need much guidance, but when I did have a question I felt as if the professor did not want to help me.” – Hemali Mehta, Sp 06
“The courses at City University were relatively simple. In a way, it was nice because you have a lot of time to experience the country and Europe with less school work.”
“The classes are short and not as well designed. Most classes only required two papers for the entire semester. It was much less work than U of I, which is good for studying abroad.” – Grant Swanson, Fall 05
“The courses seemed easier but were structured quite differently than UIUC classes. Regardless, the professors and advisors were extremely helpful.”
“The final grades seemed a bit lower than I had anticipated. I wish we were able to discuss our final grades with our professors while still in London.” – Miranda Fabian, Sp 05
“The courses only meet once a week for 2 – 3 hours each and you can schedule your classes on the same day very easily. This makes for somewhat longer days, but there is about an hour commute to campus so it’s nice to only have to do a few days a week. There is much less course work than we are used to here at U of I, so that was a nice break. Also, not having to take the final exams makes the semester a lot easier too. There were extra assignments instead – but those were either a paper or a shorter exam. Both of which were not necessarily easy, but they were certainly nothing more difficult than U of I; and much better alternative than the sound of their actual finals. Overall, it’s just a lot more relaxed and casual kind of learning with smaller classes.”
“There is not as much feedback during the semester as we are used to at the U of I. There isn’t as much coursework either, so it’s a trade off. The majority of your grade will come from 2 – 3 single items (test, papers, or projects) so it makes it harder to judge expected grades or progress.” – Annie Graham, Sp 05
“The courses were very different from the ones offered in the states. The material and subjects were very similar; it was just the style of teaching that was different. I definitely enjoyed the change. This allowed me the opportunity to learn a different style than the ones at the university, which made learning easy, and I got to know my teachers and peers on a deeper level.”
“Everything was based off of a midterm and a final, so it was different from U of I, and hard to adjust too. In addition, the terms of individual and group projects were very different from U of I. I would just make sure everyone knows all the rules and understands them fully” – Katrina Carrizales, Spring 05
“Classes at City were very different from classes at UIUC. At times it felt much less intense than UIUC but in the end I still learned a great deal. The formats of their classes were much more focused on discussion and interpretation as opposed to memorizing concepts and taking exams. It was also nice that transferring courses from City to UIUC was not difficult.”
“There were some difficulties with courses. Getting an accurate idea of what courses entailed before registering was difficult. Their course catalog was very vague. A lot of the classes that I took were very group oriented and being a study abroad student that comprises of a minor percentage of each class, it was harder than I thought to find groups to work with. Also, giving presentations in these classes were hard because teachers had drastically different expectations than what American teachers expect. So it is important for students to get a little bit of extra guidance from teachers on each assignment just to make sure that your understanding of your responsibilities is correct.” – Sanaz Mobassari, Sp 05
“The courses were not that difficult. The workload is small and the classes are interesting; the key is to stay disciplined and make sure you are doing your assignments little by little throughout the semester. I began writing my papers in mid-February and had a steady stream of things to do until the end of the term. If you wait until the last month everything becomes exceedingly complicated and tough to fit in. PACE YOURSELF.” – Nick Bobich, Sp 05
“The finance courses that I took were similar to those offered at the University of Illinois. I especially enjoyed the courses in Historic London and Performing Arts. These courses truly let us immerse ourselves into the culture and history of London, without which I don’t believe we would have known about.”
“The only difficult thing about the courses was that our entire grade was based on one project at the end of the year. So if a student performed poorly on the project he/she would perform poorly in the class.” – Sylvia Werem, Sp 05
Housing
"We lived in Chelsea, which is one of the nicest areas of London - lots of great shopping and restaurants are alldown King's Road. Tube stations (South Kensington and Sloane Square) are within walking distance so getting around London is easy. Also, there is a bus station right in front of the residence hall so you can take that to school as well. The night bus stops at this station so going out and getting home is very convenient. In the residence hall, you and your roommate have your own bathroom, which is very nice. About 5-6 people share a kitchen so you can cook all your own food. The residence hall is all international students so it's a great place to meet people. The rooms are really small. It would be nice to see if flats are possible available for future students. Although it was nice to meet so many people...."
-Amanda Schweitzer, Spring 07
Although a great location, IES Residence Hall was quite expensive for the amount of space I was given. The rooms were very small and the beds were somewhat uncomfortable. However, I did not spend much time in my room—there were too many fun places to go or see! Another drawback was that many students staying at IES came in large groups from the same university. As a result, some people were not as friendly as I would have hoped. Since there were only two of us from U of I, we had to make a genuine effort to make new friends and find a niche, which could not have turned better! Security at IES was extremely strict, which was reassuring, but difficult when friends or family came to visit. IES charged £35 per person per night to stay in a separate room. The Grosvenor Hotel by the South Kensington Underground station was a reasonable and convenient alternative when my family came to visit for a week.
-Allison Cruise, Spring 07
“The area where we were assigned to live for the semester was wonderful. It was a safe neighborhood, beautiful little town, and still part of the city.”
“Even though we were sharing the kitchen and common space with a lot of other students living on the floor, I felt like we weren’t able to meet a lot of people there, since the majority of students living there were all in the same study abroad program together and organized events solely for participants in that program. We were not allowed to have visitors. This made it extremely difficult for people to come and visit or even just spend the night.” – Rebecca Launhardt, Sp 06
“There were a few positives about our housing. Security was very tight. Our residence hall was located in one of the most upscale parts of London. We were within walking distance of grocery stores, movie theaters, and two tube stops. Our hall was primarily made up of American students, which made it easy to make friends. We are able to do our laundry inside the building. We also had a kitchen where we could cook our own meals.”
“I thought our housing was much too expensive and too far form our university. I met students whose housing was cheaper and closer to school. It took an hour to get to school everyday. I also did not like how we shared a kitchen with complete strangers. Our kitchen situation caused more problems than I would have liked to have. Our room was extremely small.” – Brendan Carter, Sp 06
“The location of our dorm was in a very nice neighborhood and public transportation was easily accessible, safe, and reliable. The housing was a very nice accommodation. It was clean and if we ever had a maintenance problem they fixed it promptly.”
“One problem with the location of the dormitory is that it was about an hour commute to the university we were attending. I am so used to being able to wake up a half an hour before class, get ready and make it with plenty of time to spare. The rooms that we stayed in were also very small, but we were rarely in them, so it was not too much of an issue.” – Katie Allen, Sp 06
“The dorm room was very small and expensive and too far from classes. The dorm also had very strict rules with regards to visitors that proved to be a hassle” – Steve Mathias, Sp 06
“The housing was nice, clean and convenient. The area is very fun with nice staff. The room seems small at first, but you are not there that much. I had a random roommate which was not bad at all. It is interesting to live with people from other countries.”
“I wish I had known the size of my room was so small. I would have packed less. I also wish I knew that the weather was very cold. I would have brought more winter clothes, but also packed a little less. I definitely did not wear everything I brought. Also make sure you have a small travel bag that is easy to take with you from country to country.” – Hemali Mehta, Sp 06
“The housing I lived in was great. I met people from all over the world. Almost all of my friends were non-American and I loved them. I plan on staying in touch with them and maybe seeing them again someday. The IES hall was a great place to find friends in the city immediately.”
“The social life in the IES Residence Hall was great. The only problems I had with it were the price of the rooms. I know the exchange rate was bad, but we paid $1300 a month to share a room that is practically half the size of our dorm rooms. Many kids I met rented flats for less than our rooms. In addition, there were strict download limits on the Internet, resulting in very slow or no connection at all. Considering the price of the room, the broadband should be unlimited.” – Grant Swanson, Fall 05
“The housing was the great mixture of American and international. Although the rooms were TINY, I really enjoyed the camaraderie that developed from living in a dorm.”
“The location was far from the Tube stop (15 min walk). I didn’t mind it though. I can’t complain about anything.” – Miranda Fabian, Spring 05
“IES was so much fun! The rooms are small – bus supposedly they are “big” for London. The dorm is very nice and very clean. Each room has its own little bathroom and you are assigned to share a kitchen down the hall with no more than 4-5 other people. The location of housing couldn’t be better. (You’ll get used to the 45 min – 1 hour commute once you realized how many days a week you have to make the trip.) The IES dorm is very safe, secure and fun - they are located on a great shopping street with grocery stores, book stores, coffee shops, pubs, restaurants, movie theatres, library and 2 tube stations within 10 minutes of walking. There is also a large park down by the river only about 15 minutes walk away. There is a bus stop directly outside the dorm that has a lot of buses that run 24-hours going to and from the main nightlife of Piccadilly and Leicester Square. Also, there is a convenience store across the street with Raj, the owner, who loves having U of I students visit him. It is also about the only store open after 11 pm.”
“IES had strict rules regarding guests and night hours. All guests must sign in and out each visit, all guests are to leave by midnight and there are no overnight guests unless they pay per night with advanced reservations. This can be annoying at times, but it does make you feel much, much safer than if they didn’t have all of these rules. And if you have friends visit for the weekend, it is actually nice to have them staying somewhere else because the room at IES is not big, at all…pack lightly. They are sufficient, not spacious.” – Annie Graham, Sp 05
“I met a lot of Americans which was nice because after we all came home we are able to keep in touch and even visit each other. In addition, the IES dorm housed many international students. I was able to meet people from all over Europe. It was a great experience, and really eye opening to the different types of people in the world. IES provided us with kitchens to cook in which was nice.”
“The rooms were very, very tiny. The bathrooms were also extremely small. In addition, the rules with guests were very strict and it made it impossible for guests to come and visit and have a place to stay. The people were great, however, the rules and size very uncomfortable and too demanding. I would try to find a different place in Nottinghill or Chelsea.” – Katrina Carrizales, Sp 05
“Our housing as wonderful. The building is by far one of the nicest for any study abroad student anywhere. The facilities are new and kept very clean. The people in the dorm are friendly and helpful. It is a great place to meet a ton of international people.”
“My only complaint with the housing is the guest policy. There is a strict visitor policy. No guests after midnight and every guest much be checked in and out by the front desk. While checking your guests in is annoying, it is nice to have that level of safety in your building. Also, while most juniors studying abroad also have a lot of friends studying abroad as well, it is annoying to not be able to have guests stay the night but also kind of blessing in disguise (not having to deal with hosting guests).” – Sanaz Mobasseri, Sp 05
“Housing is very good; the fact that it is a bit far from the school is insignificant compared to living in Chelsea on King’s Road. The dorm atmosphere is excellent in this case because it forces you to interact with people from all over Europe and the United States.”
“It was far from school, but not worth changing locations” – Nick Bobich, Sp 05
“The housing was great. It was the best location possible to be in at London, directly on Kings Road. Also it was very clean, spacious and orderly when we arrived. The living area included a television with various channels and it helped in the interaction between the students from different schools.”
“The housing did not allow guests after 12 AM unless they paid $50 to stay over. Also, although everyone was of age, many people got reprimanded for bringing out any sort of alcohol into the living unit.” – Sylvia Werem, Sp 05
Costs
"I wish I'd had a better understanding of how expensive everything is. It was very hard to do everything you wanted on such a tight budget. Weekly on food I spent about 40 pounds. If you are traveling or eating out it is much more than that. But there were a few weeks when my roommate and I just ate in at the Residence Hall, and we both spent about 20-40 pounds and shared things. I did not buy any textbooks. The few times I needed books I went to the school library. Very few students there seem to actually buy the books."
-Amanda Schweitzer, Spring 07
"Food expense depends entirely on how much you choose to eat out or cook for yourself. I did both while abroad, cooking more during the week while in London and eating out on weekend trips. I would estimate approximately £40/week for food with eating one or two meals out. Dinner at a moderately priced restaurant is at least £15-20 and pub food about £5-10. The pub down the street from IES (turn right on King’s Road), called Cadogan Arms welcomes American exchange students and had a 2 for 1 dinner entrée menu everyday while I was there."
-Allison Cruise, Spring 07
"They warn you about how expensive London is but it's hard to really understand until you are there. I ended up not eating out very much because it added up too quickly. If I had to guess how much I spent on food it would be $100-$150 per week."
-Sam Harper, Fall 06
"I spent around 80-100 American dollars a week."
-Laura Janko, Spring 07
