@JerseyGirl2001 and @coliet27 , my son was a Jan class of '22. Currently a sophomore. He went to London thru the Arcadia University program his first semester with approximately 37 other Hamilton Jans. He enjoyed the London experience very much.
Pluses: London. The students are housed in a dormitory style building owned by Arcadia U. in the Highgate section of London, nice area. The building is nice and clean. Rooms are doubles. Students from Brandeis University were there also. Hamilton students room with other Hamilton students. Classes are Monday-Thursday, no classes on Friday. Many students would take off for the long weekend to other parts of the UK or Europe. My son traveled to Ireland, Amsterdam, Paris, Madrid and the Canary Islands. Students take four classes. Students can elect to take, I believe, once class at a UK university in London as well. Arcadia provides a few day trips around London, to Stonehenge and Bath.
What could be perceived as negatives: Highgate, where the students live, is about a 30-40 minute tubes right down to Arcadia’s academic building. There is no meal plan. There are full kitchens on each floor of the dorm, but students are responsible for their meals. London is expensive. My son found the Arcadia classes very easy. The credits transfer to Hamilton, but not the grades. There are no course offerings in the sciences and no economics course was offered when my son was there. Perhaps this has changed. Most of the Jans go to London. I believe that there were around 11 Jans in my son’s class who didn’t go to London but did something else. If your child doesn’t elect to go to London, I don’t know how difficult it would be to make friends the spring semester. I guess it would depend upon the student.
My son already had a strong “Jan” friend group when he arrived on campus for the spring semester. The Jans are all housed on the third floor of Dunham and they can choose with whom to room. Jan’s also got first priority when signing up for spring classes. Hamilton provides a three day orientation for the Jans right before spring semester. It helps to get involved quickly on campus. My son joined the rowing team and the newspaper. He later joined a fraternity.
My son viewed this semester as kind of a gap year/study abroad. He absolutely loved being in London, but he’s a city kid. Remember also, that the drinking age in London is 18. That’s good or bad, depending upon how you look at it.
Feel free to reach out to me with more questions/concerns. There are a few other parents on here who had Jan students as well.