Study Abroad in London, England: Semester or Academic Year

London is an absolutely amazing place to study abroad but DO NOT choose this program to do it. It is horribly ran and organized in every aspect from the social events to academics. For starters no information about or program including classes, housing, food, etc was shared until about 2 weeks before departure for London. Then our housing was changed on us last minute from a nice flat with a dining hall right next to the school to essentially a private room at a hostel about 40 minutes away by train. They give you almost no support for food/cooking/dining while you are abroad for three months so be prepared to spend a good amount on top of what you have already paid to keep yourself properly fed. Additionally the classes were pretty horrific as most professors were incredibly disorganized with no syllabi, clear assignments, or regular grading. Finally the support from the staff is an absolute joke, when I was sent to the hospital one night it took them forever to reach out to my friends who had been frantically calling the 24/7 emergency line asking for support and help with the healthcare system in a foreign country. Overall please choose to study abroad in London as you will make so many friends and have great experiences but choose any other program besides AIFS. If you do decide to choose them be sure to take LGBT+ communities with Dominic Janes or any class with Nicole Moody (they were the only two great and helpful adults on staff!)

I was inspired to choose London as my study abroad destination because I’m an English major and I wanted to study all the literary greats in the best place in the world to study English literature. I’m also a huge fan of British pop culture and history, and I knew a short-term summer program was too short, so a fall semester program was the perfect length for me to be able to fully enjoy the city to its fullest!

I chose AIFS because of the appeal of their all-inclusive program fees. It can also include airfare if you choose the flight package where and AIFS will arrange your flights and have someone pick you up straight from the airport and take you there when your program ends. I didn’t choose this option because I wanted to explore Europe with my mom after my program ended, but this option is unique to AIFS that I didn’t see with other study abroad providers. They also provide lots of scholarship opportunities through their super easy application, and I won two! They accepted all of my financial aid, and they provide cultural activities with the cost of the program as well as covering all housing and meal plans.

My favorite part of London was how different each borough felt. I lived in the Kensington borough, and I always felt safe in my area. There’s always something new to explore, and London is the perfect city for anyone who loves food and museums. Almost all museums are free, which is something that surprises most London visitors. It is an expensive city to live in, but I found many ways to make it affordable, including shopping at Sainsbury’s for food on the weekends, Primark for clothing, and Boots for hygiene products.

Local staff supported students before the program started with lots of access to online resources, and they developed a great orientation program before classes started so students can get acclimated to the city and connect with other students in the program. They were great people to talk to about anything and get recommendations from. I only had one incident with a student where I needed to report inappropriate behavior, and I wish the consequences were heavier for the actions the students made, but going forward I think AIFS is taking diversity and inclusion more seriously, so improvements will be made in that regard.

Studying abroad in London through AIFS was one of the best experiences of my life! AIFS made the entire process of studying abroad as seamless as possible. The was able to answer any questions I had before, during, and after the program. When studying abroad through AIFS in London you get to live and learn in one of the most wonderful areas of London. There are several museums within walking distance of the dorms as well as multiple tube stops. The central location of the facilities allows for you to travel all over London, and even the UK.

This place is honestly the best because of the location and the people! The university is so small it forces you to be friends with those around you and there is no better experience than Richmond The American International University in London! Like seriously I wish I could go back to my time in London because how amazing the teachers and daily life was. I got to go to 5 arsenal matches because of roommate had season tickets! Like seriously everyone you meet is a superstar and the tight net community makes the experience 10x better!

Though I'm from a small town.. I have always wanted to live in a bigger city. That's the number one reason why I decided to study abroad in London, UK. AIFS was the first pick in terms of providers because they did a great job of organizing everything. As someone who didn't have a lot of family support along the way, it was important that I had support from my provider. AIFS allowed me to feel comfortable, while still giving me freedom to explore the city. It was like my home institution almost.

During my time in London I made a special effort to branch out and experience the city on my own. I heavily used social media and hashtags to find different things to do around the city like new restaurants, fashion week, museums, concerts, etc. If you are social media savvy I highly recommend using it as a resource!

When I was choosing a study abroad program, I wanted to make sure that I felt like I had a support system while I was abroad. Since it was my first time leaving the country and I was doing it alone, I knew that I wasn't going to be as sure of myself as I usually am. The on sight support through AIFS is unimaginable and from the beginning until the end, I felt like I always had someone on my side. I felt safe to really explore and have the time of my life while also feeling like I was getting a school experience. It was an amazing experience. The faculty is well educated and also well versed in all of their perspective areas of study. Housing was very near central London, so you truly got the city experience. Traveling was easy and mostly inexpensive. Since everything with AIFS is all inclusive, you truly had the chance to use extra funds for school and things you wanted to do. I would recommend this program over and over again! Even after being home for a few months, I still feel so connected to AIFS and professionally prepared to graduate and talk about my study abroad experience to potential jobs.

Studying abroad with AIFS in London was the best decision I have ever made. Studying abroad in London was such a good choice for me, as it was my first time outside of the US. Where London provided the perfect home-base as it is a well balance of not being too foreign yet being a new world to culturally immerse yourself in. Regarding why AIFS in London is perfect is due to it's location and program specifications.

With AIFS, (for most students) you are placed in an American style dorm housing in the greatest neighborhood in the world! Kensington is home to so many amazing things to do, while remaining fairly quiet, and being a 5 minute tube ride into your favorite parts of central London. The dorms of Atlantic House and Ambassador Hall just a few minutes away from all that Kensington has to offer from Hyde Park, to South Kensington Museums, and all the shops High Street Kensington has to offer. The location is truly the best that I know of compared to any of the other programs that my friends have been a part of and I am beyond grateful that I had the opportunity to spend 4 months of my life living in Kensington.

The specifications of the program including the academics, on site staff, cultural experiences offered, and all the other details were so great. The study part of study abroad was a great environment to learn, with students and professors from all around the world are present in the classroom, resulting in not just a typical learning environment but a great lesson in learning about different perspectives of the world. The on site staff are some of the best people out there, as they are so helpful with everything you need or have questions about. And the cultural experiences are very fun activities such as going to plays, the London eye, day trips that are very well planned, and so much more.

Overall, this is the best program if you're studying abroad in London!

My time abroad was one that I will never forget thanks to AIFS. Their all inclusive program and optional flight package meant that all I had to worry about was having fun. I never once had to worry about the logistics of anything, and if I did have to, the staff were more than helpful in making sure we as program participants knew what we needed to to. Once abroad the location and the staff on site couldn't have been better. Being housed in the heart of South Kensington was the highlight of the trip. Food, palaces, and tube stations were all within reach. The friends I made during my time abroad are friends that I know I will have for a lifetime.