Semester in London - University of Westminster

The experience of living and learning in a different country can be very daunting, but by establishing a welcoming community and organizing group events for the incoming students there anxiety quickly dissipated. There was such a sense of group unity and comfort established that there was always someone to support your decisions and listen to any concerns.

I cannot say enough good things about this experience and this program! CIS Abroad was the perfect fit for me and what I wanted out of my study abroad experience. I made the decision to study abroad on a bit of a whim, and CIS Abroad was there every step of the way to help me along. First, the staff at CIS Abroad's home office in Northampton, MA is absolutely amazing. The people there who helped me were there for me for the entire thing - beginning the process of applying, getting accepted, and all the steps of preparation up until going to the airport and arriving in London! The on-site CIS Abroad staff were amazing, as well. Everyone at CIS Abroad was there to support me, and they all were so genuinely excited to help me on my journey! They even reached out to me multiple times during my program, and even after my program ended, just to chat and hear all about my experiences and see if I needed anything. The University of Westminster was also amazing. The opportunities I had in my classes there were unlike anything I have at my home university. I actually still keep in contact with some of the professors I had abroad (one is even writing a recommendation letter for me!). I stayed at the Marylebone residence hall, and it was amazing! It couldn't have been more perfect for what I wanted. It was right in the heart of London, within walking distance to all of my classes, and the nearest tube station was right across the street! Not only did I have a great experience due to the CIS Abroad staff and the University of Westminster, I also made amazing life-long friends and made irreplaceable memories - and you will too! I cannot express enough how thankful I am to this study abroad program for shaping me into the person I am today. I always thought I knew who I was as a person pretty well, but studying and living abroad taught me things about myself that I never would have discovered had I not gone abroad! So, get excited!!!! By picking this specific program, or another CIS Abroad program, I can guarantee you will have one of the best experiences of your life. :)

Spending a semester at the University of Westminster in London was easily one of my best decisions in college! I absolutely loved the city, London is a place that you could spend a lifetime in and never be bored. There are so many different cultures that all come together there, so there's a huge variety as far as food, activities, languages, and people! I made friends with people from all over the world, which was a huge bonus. As far as living situations go, you're right in the heart of the city which makes it convenient to get to touristy places, as well as being in a good location to get to transportation and smaller, out of the way places. CISAbroad is awesome because the program coordinators plan excursions and cultural activities, which takes the pressure off of you to try and do every single thing. Some things we did in my program were take a weekend trip to Scotland, go to afternoon tea, and see a West End show. CIS also takes care of paying rent and applying to the university for you, which is a huge burden off your shoulders. Overall, I couldn't have asked for a better program with better people in a better city!