Department
Where did you spend your first semester
Civil & Environmental Engineering
abroad?
Degree Programme (e.g. BA French and
United States of America
Russian)
Type of Placement
MEng Civil Engineering (Itnl)
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)?
Good
Please give details/feedback and suggest any improvements:
More information on the courses and grading systems at the different universities
would have been good. Also on the grade transfer.
both qualitative and quantitative information.
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:
How would you rate your own preparation ahead of studying abroad?
Satisfactory
Could you have done more to prepare yourself before leaving UCL? If so, please give
details:
apply for things like visa earlier. start getting things eg accommodation sorted sooner
even if the visa wasn't in yet.
Could you have been better prepared by UCL? If so, please give details:
As part of your preparation, did you do any of the following (tick all that apply):
- Contact the Study Abroad Team
- Discuss your options with your Study Abroad Tutor
- Contact third year students who were studying abroad at the time
- Contact exchange students who were studying at UCL at the time
- 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?
applications. yes.
Prior to departure, were you given clear instructions by your department on what was
expected of you academically during your year abroad?
No
How did you prepare yourself for the academic aspect of your year abroad programme?
What advice would you offer to students prior to making a decision about where to study
abroad?
what kind of experience are you looking for? think beyond the courses. unless thats the
only experience you care about.
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?
learn about the university culture: where people live, what they do in their free time,
where they study, where they meet for projects or interviews or socially.
Your Placement - University
Name of your host university:
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Location (city and country):
Champaign & Urbana USA
Was your university placement part of an ERASMUS or other exchange programme?
No
When did you receive confirmation of acceptance from the host university?
May?
When did your placement start?
August
How did you get to your placement? Please give rough details of the journey and costs:
Return flight to chicago: £560. Bus to champaign: $30 one way.
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?
lots of help. just go to the info session organised by IPENG. they'll tell you all you need
to know. bring anything they sent you and your passport/immigration docs.
Were any special orientation events/meetings provided for study abroad students? If so,
please give details.
yes. meetings by the engineering school (IPENG) and uni wide (ISSS). also special
mixers/welcome party. and lots and lots of events throughout the year. way too many to
go to all of them.
Is there any advice you would give to future students ahead of enrolling at this university?
just bring all your documents. and be prepared to wait. and look at the study abroad
checklist.
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:
Can be entirely online through a portal. both to select and to change courses within the
accepted time period. any problems can be sorted by emailing the relevant professor
although sometimes they will then require forms (if you are taking grad classes or
similar)
Was obtaining information about courses and timetables difficult or simple?
Simple
If difficult, what advice would you offer on how to obtain the information?
use the course catalog initially and then go on the portal and it builds your timetable for
you as you add courses.
Academic Life
At your host university, who helped you with the academic or administrative aspects of your
year abroad? Please tick all that apply:
- Departmental Coordinator
- International Office / Erasmus Office
Please give names of helpful individuals if possible:
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):
special seminars for study abroad.
advice from coordinators and study abroad team and students about registration and
general stuff.
instructions about work from relevant professors and advice from TA and other
students.
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:
1st semester: initially at 17 credits but that included 2 projects and a graduate course so
had to drop one of the projects as I didn't have enough time to dedicate to it. about 6065 hrs average/week outside of class. about 15 on the project 2 on maths and the rest on
the other 2 courses.
2nd semester: 5 classes, 13 credits, 13 hrs in the classroom. about 30 hrs outside of class.
Please describe the nature of the classes (i.e. large lectures, smaller seminar groups etc.) What
was the average lecture/class size?
mean of about 70-75 ppl. mode and median of ~100. 1 project based class of < 40 in 7
teams. and 8 lecture based classes: 1x~20, 1x~30, 1x~50, 5~100.
1 of the lectures also had 6 person projects running throughout but meeting outside of
class. and another had a 25 person discussion section.
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.)?
cee310: 1 quiz per week every week for the whole semester.
cee320: 1 midterm exam and 1 final. participation tasks, written or cad homework.
project including: reports and video.
cee350: reports, worksheets, small project ending in a report. 2 midterms and a final.
cee467: hw incl worksheets and presentations. 2 midterms and a final.
cee470: hw worksheets + 2 midterms and a final.
eng465: project: report, client presentation, other presentations and reports,
participation and feedback to others as well as contribution to team.
math225: online hw. 2 midterms and a final.
glbl395: participation, 2x reading analysis, case study report, 3 quizzes, simulation.
Please comment on the availability and approachability of teaching staff at your host
university:
very accessible. although usually use the TA more
How would you rate the teaching at your host university:
Very 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:
Much more difficult than UCL
Please give details:
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:
excellent. lots of libraries and superb library service.
Access to computers, internet etc.:
better than excellent. especially with the extra engineering clusters. all the software I
could need for my courses, double screens, computers that actually work, different OS
available in different rooms. coming back to ucl will be a problem.
Clubs and societies (type, range, and cost):
in the 1000s. all different types from sports and activities to cultural or volunteering or
professional.
not sure about costs as I didn't join any but rather set up my own. which was
surprisingly easy. although I did attend about 2-3 free events organized by clubs per
week.
greek life also ranges in cost and type of org from professional to philanthropy to social.
Sporting facilities (type, range, and cost):
record setting for a college. free. everything from pool and free bookable courts to gyms,
tracks, stadium (pay to attend games).
Other:
Summary
Why did you choose to spend your year abroad at this university in particular?
made a little algorithm to pick the best available using a bunch of league tables. then
crossed them off if I didn't like what I saw when I did research on them.
Are you glad that you did so?
Yes
Would you recommend this university to future UCL students?
Yes
Please explain why:
number 1 civil engineering
number 4 engineering overall (and similar for business)
number 4 party school
How would you rate the placement overall?
Very good
How would you rate the placement within the context of your degree programme?
Good
Is there any specific advice you would offer to students considering a placement at this
university?
Accommodation
What type of accommodation did you obtain?
Accommodation provided by your host institution
How did you obtain your accommodation? Please describe the application process, when you
applied, and when you received confirmation:
apply online. I applied way too late at the start of august but got confirmation on the
22nd.
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:
about... £780 a month for 8 months. include 12 meals a week + some credits for the store.
meals are eat&drink all you can + take out a snack. includes all bills including internet.
although not laundry.
How early could you move in?
a few days by paying extra
Did you have to vacate the premises during the holidays?
Yes
How would you rate the accommodation provided?
Good
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?
next to dining hall, 15 minute walk or 10 min bus from engineering quad.
double room. kitchen you can get a key to. no bedding.
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?
local students. mostly freshers.
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?
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):
$1250 all inclusive
Bills (electricity, gas, water, internet, phone etc.):
$50 phone only
Books (overall amount spent on books during your stay):
$100
Food (weekly):
included in rent
A (simple) meal (in a cafe or restaurant):
$6
A coffee (in a cafe or bar):
$2
A beer (in a cafe or bar):
$4
A cinema ticket:
Local travel (weekly):
free with i-card
Entertainment (weekly):
0
Any other regular costs:
In total, how much did you spend per month on average?
$1350
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?
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:
J-1 visa means you can only work on campus. eg dining halls, libraries, etc...
Does your host institution help with finding part-time work?
yes
3. Banking
Did you open a bank account in your host country?
Yes
If yes, was it easy to open an account? Please describe the process and what documents were
needed. Did you have to make a minimum deposit to open the account?
yes.
go to the bank. tell someone you want to open an account and let them do it for you
(someone who works for the bank. not just a random other customer).
bring passport and i-card. should be about it if you know your details.
no
Which bank did you open an account with?
tcf and pnc
What type of account did you open? Were there any charges, and was it easy to withdraw
money within your host country using this account?
the standard one they offered me as a student
no charges (unless you withdraw an unhealthy amount of times or from other bank cash
machines)
yes
Would you recommend opening a local bank account? If so, which bank(s) or account(s)
would you recommend?
yes.
tcf gives you a free hoodie and is easy to use and the campus partner but makes it
difficult to transfer money from abroad.
pnc has good online banking and is more national
General
1. Social Factors (Opportunities and Ease of Meeting People)
How much interaction did you have with local students?
lots
How much interaction did you have with other international students?
some
In your experience, what were the best ways of meeting people?
clubs and socs, greek life, volunteering, working on projects.
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?
you can get an info sheet about it from ISSS. then go to the mall and talk to the different
providers.
Transport
Was local transport good or bad? Please give details of local transport you used:
great. they cover every area of campus and are easy to get a hang of but its worth
getting the book at the start to see when they run. eg weekends and nights etc...
What was the cost of local transport? Are there any special deals or discounts for students?
all the busses are free (ie you pay a compulsory fee at the start) with an icard. most
don't even require you to show the card if you get on on campus.
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?
flights are expensive. trains to and not widespread. coaches are ok. best is to make
friends and get them to drive you.
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:
Is there any advice you would give to someone preparing to live in your host city/country?
yes.
depends on the person and what they care about
Did you experience any problems/difficulties while living in your host city which you would
like to share with the Study Abroad Team?
no
Study Abroad - Summary
Did you find your year abroad rewarding academically?
Yes
Please give reasons for your answer:
I got to take classes I never could at ucl.
Did you find your year abroad rewarding in non-academic respects?
Yes
Please give reasons for your answer:
met lots of people. joined a professional and social engineering fraternity. started an rso.
lived in the states
How would you rate your year abroad experience overall?
Very good
Please give reasons for your answer:
see above
Do you feel that you have developed skills which will be of use to you in future?
Yes
a) My cultural awareness:
Is the same
b) My language proficiency:
Has worsened slightly
c) My independence:
Is the same
d) My self confidence:
Is the same
e) My intellectual development:
Has increased slightly
f) My personal development:
Has increased greatly
g) My ability to make decisions:
Has increased greatly
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?
Satisfactory
Please give details/feedback and suggest any improvements:
unsure about how my grades will pan out. did I choose the right courses? more
feedback would have been good.
How would you rate the support you received from the UCL Study Abroad Team during your
time abroad?
Very good
Please give details/feedback and suggest any improvements:
Are there any other comments you would like to make?