CIEE College Study Abroad in London, England

The first couple of days in London (Monday-Thursday) went well, but definitely not as planned. From our first step off the plane into Heathrow Airport (London, England) my roommate and I fell very ill. Whatever has been going around, we got it, but luckily it has passed.

In terms of academics the first week included a light scheduled with two classes over the course of Thursday and Friday. The focus of Thursday’s class was on the origins of the NHS, Pre-NHS policies in Britain, and the chaos of medical care that consumed the UK prior to the creation of the NHS. Friday we focused on learning more about how politics and the NHS intertwine, where some would even argue that despite the NHS being a health service it is really a large scale political project.

Amongst our readings and assigned videos, one documentary recounting the history of the founding of the NHS really stood out to me. I will include some of my thoughts and comments on it below along with the video link.

Thoughts:

Over the course of the documentary certain events of the early 19th century were pointed out to highlight the progression of thought in terms of how health was understood and managed amongst different communities in England and eventually in the country as a whole. Progression began with an emphasis on tackling infant mortality rates with midwives becoming more commonplace being granted pensions, salary, and standard of care training. While there were still many issues with the greater integration of midwives and the limits of what they could achieve, overall infantry mortality increased drastically. During this time middle class families held the belief that doctors were the appropriate professional to hire to usher in a new child, however midwives produced greater results due to the overwhelming amount of work doctors faced. Due to the expensive nature and busy schedules of doctors, vulnerable citizens such in low income brackets were left exposed and in 1911 health insurance schemes organized by local government to serve the poor were put into place. That said, unemployment was at an all time high and the unemployed, women, and children were left uncovered by any means of insurance. In fragmented communities this was addressed through medical aid societies where the community members would contribute money into a larger pool to cover medical expenses of community members. While communities like this were effective, pandemics (ie. Diphtheria) still impacted the majority of citizens and it was not until the onset of WW2 that the English central government finally began to address health concerns and initiate a vaccination program. This shift saw the central government's influence extend to monitoring the health of youth in schools and seeking to understand risk factors for health via experimentation at the local level. Finally, in 1948, the central government took the reins and control of public health by implementing the NHS.

What I found most intriguing was firstly the social health experiment conducted at the Paneer health center and the foundational knowledge of risk factors the experiment discovered, and two, the community of Judea where Aneurin Bevan was born and the influence that the medical aid society had on his eventual creation of the NHS. These two points prior to the NHS seem to have heavily fueled the creation of the NHS and informed its understanding and vision of public health.

CIEE was the last of three study abroad program I participated in and it was absolutely my favorite. The staff was incredible and the people in the program are some of the coolest people I have ever met. The group came from all around the states, making it a diverse and fun group. The classes were relevant to the location and the teachers were all experts in their field. I had a class about British theatre and my teacher was a play write in London! It made the class so meaningful. Especially since he was able to bring in Michael Billington to talk to my class (who is basically a celebrity as a theatre critic).

CIEE London was a really great experience! I made phenomenal friends and studied in a beautiful school right on Russell Square. The class was about the NHS in the UK and had some great information; my teacher was also lovely and made it clear she cared about learning with us rather than simply teaching us. We were given plenty of time to travel on our own (I personally went to Paris for a weekend) and the work load wasn't taxing. I wish they would have given me information on the class schedule and housing sooner, but, overall, I had an AMAZING time. I never felt unsafe as a female traveler, even when alone, and there was always something fun to do.

I had a great time studying abroad in london. The range of restaurants and ethnicities really made me feel like I’m abroad. The traveling around london was very easy with the underground and the architecture and sights to see were endless. The only thing I’d say was bad was the amount of coursework which limited my time to have fun and travel. Also the location of the housing was quite far from the CIEE building and I would recommend housing that is walkable from the CIEE building. Finally I think it was overall a very interesting experience which left me with many different perspectives and insights.

I had a wonderful semester abroad. The CIEE staff was welcoming and flexible, even when I had to join late because I got Covid. The academics were good, though different from school in the U.S. and took some adjustment. I attended University College London, and the biggest difference was that there was very little work throughout the semester—just reading mainly—and one final that was 100% of the grade. It was a little intimidating at first but I got used to it. The schedule was flexible as well, which made European travel attainable. I would highly recommend this program and CIEE as an organization.

CIEE's Summer in London program exceeded all of my expectations. It was the most amazing experience. The program was the perfect mix of academics and free time. I met some of the most wonderful people who have become lifelong friends and created memories that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. The staff is so incredibly supportive and it's clear they want you to succeed. I never felt out of place in asking for help, which is extremely important being in a new country and experiencing completely new things. Overall, this program is one that I will recommend for a very long time.

I would absolutely take this opportunity again, the staff have been nothing but welcoming and kind. I knew I could go to them with anything, especially Olwyn. The academic course was challenging, but it’s enough time to be manageable with traveling on the weekends and still engaging in a healthy social life balance. I have met amazing people here in my program and I hope that the friendships I have made last a long time. I’ve loved getting to meet new people and have made life long, irreplaceable memories here in London! I hope to return in the future.

I've always dreamed of living abroad. My university had canceled all of its study-abroad programs due to COVID, so the only way for me to study abroad would be through an external program. I am extremely grateful to the CIEE for giving me this opportunity. The staff was extremely helpful and accessible. The courses that I took really stood out to me. I was able to take several courses on art and photography, and in these courses, my instructors made a point to expose us to the many museums and galleries London has to offer. I was able to have incredible cultural exposure just by going to class every day. The CIEE also made a point to organize many fun events to show us around London and expose us to different cities in the UK.

I had a bit of a difficult transition to London. My arrival was delayed due to COVID, and that made the new adjustment a challenge. I did not click with my roommates the way they all had and I felt very isolated for the first month or two. I found it incredibly difficult to make friends. The CIEE staff encouraged me to go to their events with students from other programs and helped me get in touch with mental health professionals, but I feel that many of the issues I was having were enhanced by the housing situation. The apartment they put us in was very nice, but I had no space for myself and was constantly forced to deal with the difficult roommate situation. The lack of individual rooms also became a problem when we contracted COVID and had to be moved in order to isolate.

Luckily, London is a great city to meet new people. Through the experiences that I had in London, I have become considerably more confident and independent. I learned to get out of my comfort zone and dive into new things and in doing so, I have made so many great friends. After the initially difficult adjustment, I am happy to say that my time in London has been amazing and I'm so grateful for these experiences. Through rail travel and cheap flights, it's a great place to be in to explore Europe. There is so much to do in London that you could never leave and still have an amazing time.