88 reviews
3.94 / 5 based on 88 reviews
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Narmin J
Student life
Describe host city:
Students interact with the local community without much university involvement
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Activities: Takes place mostly within the university/student environment
Travel: Takes place mostly outside the university/student environment
Nightlife: Takes place both within and outside of the university/student environment
Personal social experience
Personal comments
Pret e Manger was a great little cafe. I would highly reccomend going to see various plays in London. Theater is absolutely fantastic and the quality of acting is incredible. I would also reccomend going to the Tower of London. Make sure you go on the tour! The tour guides are very good.
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Narmin J
Housing
Type of housing: hostel
Arranged by: Independently - My choice
If returning, I would choose: Apartment/House
Why?
Now that I'm not a student I would like to live in an apartment or a house because it would give me more privacy.
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Personal comments
I never lived in housing provided by SOAS. But I had friends that did. They said the housing was good and it was close to the univeristy but the area (Kings Cross) wasn't very safe.
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Narmin J
Academic
Course recommendations
I would reccomend looking into the structure of coureses before deciding on a Masters program. For the MSc Development Studies program course work counted for only 20% of the total grade.
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My academic experiences
Interaction with teachers
Interaction with international students
Interaction with local students
Personal comments
There is too much pressure put on students that have to write 80% or 100% exam finals. There needs to be a compulsory course offered on how to relieve exam stress/anxiety and on how to study for these exams.
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My opinion of the university assessment
Exams throughout the course
Essays and/or projects at the end of course
Essays and/or projects throughout the course
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Narmin J
Languages
Language of instruction: English
Was learning English a key decision factor?
No, it wasn't.
Language difficulties
Administrative / Institutional
Personal comments
Language and communication wasn't a problem because the languag of median was English. All the students and professors spoke good English.
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Narmin J
Overall
I wish I had known...
Sometimes it's difficult to understand the various accents in London - it's okay to ask people to repeat themselves as long as you don't do it too much. People in London don't smile at strangers or in general - if you do people will think you're strange. Most people won't make eye contact with you on the street unless they know you. Before travelling to different areas in London find out safety information.
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In my opinion:
Most people loved it.
Important factors in my choice
(1) Unimportant – (4) Very important
Personal recommendation
A more even weighting needs to be implemented for exams, essays and participation. For example 50% final exam, 30% essays, and 20% participation. Other than that, the university atmosphere is wonderful. The professors reflect the diversity in the classroom. SOAS has a great academic and student atmosphere!
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During my experience abroad, I ...
(1) Never – (4) A lot
Became familiar with another culture
Met people from other countries
Experienced a change in life
Advanced my studies & career
Final comments
When in London do as much travelling around Euroope as you can! Most countries are close by. If you fly first consult secondary airlines like Ryan Air. You can also take buses and the Eurotrain to visit countries. A visit to Spain, France and Italy are a MUST!
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Narmin J
Expenses
Main source of funding:
A private grant
Other sources of funding:
none
Work opportunities:
I didn't explore any work options
Personal spending habits
The cost of living in London is very high. This is only worsened by the poor exchange rate for the Candian Dollar (2.5CDN = 1GBP)!
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Housing, Telephone, Travel, Food, Overall, Nightlife:
was more expensive than at home.
Accessibility of student needs
Second-hand household items
Personal comments
ATMs in London have times where they are closed! It is VERY DIFFICULT to get money from ATMs on Fridays! Get your money in advance! Don't convert or you won't survive! When in Rome live like the Romans. It's probably a good idea to make lunch rather than buying it - that will save you a lot of money. Taking the bus is cheaper than taking the tube - although less convenient.
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