Department
Where did you spend your first semester
History
abroad?
Degree Programme (e.g. BA French and
United States of America
Russian)
Type of Placement
BA History
University Placement
Year in which abroad
Where did you spend your second
2012/13
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?
Yes
If yes, did you find it useful?
Yes
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?
Yes
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?
Yes
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.
Yes - 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?
Yes
Would you recommend this university to future UCL students?
Yes
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:
$4600 per semester Internet included
How early could you move in?
Three days before NSO
Did you have to vacate the premises during the holidays?
Yes
How would you rate the accommodation provided?
Satisfactory
Please describe the type of accommodation you stayed in, its location and level of comfort.
Did you have a single or double room? What were the kitchen and other facilities like? What
was or wasn't provided (e.g. bedding, kitchen utensils)? Did you feel that the accommodation
represented good value for money?
Dorms, in the quad. Had pros and cons. My own room, not much is provided. Plenty of
free pizza and snacks in study breaks.
Did you live with local students, or with other foreign students? Were the halls a good place
to practice your language skills and interact with local students?
Yes
Would you recommend this accommodation to future students?
Yes
Is there any other advice you would like to share with future students looking for
accommodation in your host town/city?
Consider off campus accomadation
Finance
How much money did you need on arrival (e.g. for housing deposits, rent and other start-up
costs)?
1. Cost of Living
Rent (per month):
1300$
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?
Yes
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?
Yes. 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?
Yes
Please give reasons for your answer:
Very good professors
Did you find your year abroad rewarding in non-academic respects?
Yes
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?
Yes
a) My cultural awareness:
Has increased slightly
b) My language proficiency:
Is the same
c) My independence:
Has increased slightly
d) My self confidence:
Has increased slightly
e) My intellectual development:
Has increased slightly
f) My personal development:
Has increased slightly
g) My ability to make decisions:
Has increased slightly
h) My ability to explore and create opportunities:
Has increased slightly
i) My ability to cope with difficult situations:
Has increased slightly
j) My ability to solve problems:
Has increased slightly
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