A review from a “bitch”

My experience of the Art History Abroad program was one that I will forever be grateful for and always remember. Although I experienced many once in a lifetime opportunities that I was so excited for, like the private tour of the Vatican, and St Marks in Venice, my time with the program was marred by a series of disappointments and mistreatments that left a lasting impact on me and my mental health. Despite my strong beliefs and opinions as an American woman, I found myself consistently belittled and made to feel inadequate by the (very) British staff. The communication barriers and lack of understanding hindered any meaningful connection between us, and many of the other participants. Moreover, the staff's judgmental attitude towards normal American behaviors, such as occasional vaping and late-night outings, only served to create a toxic environment of slut-shaming and personal attacks.

The pinnacle of disrespect came when the 65-year-old male director stooped to calling me derogatory names, while the tutors failed to provide the necessary support or engagement. Name calling, specifically towards women, may be apart of British culture that I am personally unaware of, but I was called a “bitch” and my friends, “cunt” and “simple minded”, and for a program to be built around the “conduct code” of anti-bullying, they clearly have a lot of work to do in their own administration. Their inability to communicate effectively and their demeaning behavior led to a sense of failure and dehumanization. The shocking use of offensive language towards participants, such as referring to a friend as a derogatory term (cunt), further exemplified the lack of professionalism within the staff.

Not only did the staff offer conflicting messages by encouraging drinking while simultaneously shaming participants for “indulging”, but they also failed to create a safe and supportive environment for personal growth. Accusing someone of “being a drinker” is not effective, and extremely dangerous. That was a term that was used time and time again against be, and to belittle me. My overall experience with the program was infected by the constant degradation and mistreatment I, and many of my friends endured, leaving me feeling unsupported and undervalued.

In conclusion, the program's staff exhibited a disregard for participants' well-being and failed to uphold the standards of professionalism and respect. Despite their efforts to knock me down and make me feel like less than human, and question my place in this world, I came to the realization that true personal growth and support lie elsewhere, away from the judgmental attitudes of the 'intellectual' British. It is imperative for future participants to be aware of these shortcomings to make informed decisions about their involvement with the program.

The female staff greatly deferred from what I experienced from the males that were in the admin. They were all amazing.

Do not do this program if you are a strong minded, confident, outspoken American woman: you will be attacked