Just got back from UCLA's Shakespeare program for English majors and minors! One word of advice (even if are going to a Western country) is do research on the country (in terms of survival). The best places to eat, the culture, ways to save money, their public transportation, internet cafes, etc. Being in London for half my trip (even as a modern city) can suck you dry of money (but the experience was great). There were some ups and downs to the trip (as will always happen) but really do in-depth research on where you are going. I regret doing that because I thought their conveniences would be the same as the that of CA. I thought wrong. Just a little piece of advice!