Regent's American College London

Central London is the absolute best for clubs, bars, and theatre! Weeknights are the cheapest for going clubbing...check TimeOut for clubs having drink specials. Besides traveling on your own, Regent's College also arranges weekend trips to places like Edinburgh, Paris, and Wales, as well as daytrips to Stonehenge, Canterbury, etc, that end up cheaper and easier than if you'd done it on your own.

The rooms were/are in the process of renovation, so things are pretty new and spotless. The rooms are spacious and very adequate, with several community bathrooms on each floor. The only thing I didn't like about the rooms is that some of the furniture is permanently attached, so you can't rearrange the room. Since I didn't spend very much time in my room anyway, that really didn't matter much.

I had no language problems since my native language is English. However, Regent's College also has a business college that a lot of international students attend, and also since London is such a cosmopolitan city, there are plenty of chances to hear and encounter other languages there.

If your bank charges per transaction for ATM withdrawals, take out more money at once--like, enough for the week instead of for the day. Eventually, the fees you save add up to a pretty significant amount. All the books you'd need can be found in the college library, so you really don't need to buy any. The computer labs are pretty busy, but if you're patient, you should have no trouble getting online. Also, credit cards are good to have because the exchange rates are often better than what you get with ATMs--just don't go overboard with spending. I got back almost a year ago, and I'm still paying my balance off!

Do lots of internet research when looking for cheap travel deals--it's time-consuming, but it pays off! Also, if you don't take the tube very often, buying the 10-ticket cachets is cheaper than getting a ticket every time you take it. Walking is the best way to get around, though, because then you get to see everything, and central London is smaller than it looks. And it rains a lot, but it's cheaper to buy an umbrella there than in the US. Have fun!