Oxford: Smart British People Know how to Have Fun Too! Past Review
By Alexandra C (Political Science & Economics, Tufts University) for
IFSA: Oxford - Oxford University
It was wonderful. It made me a better student. I realized how much I love America. I discovered quirky British words, and things they do totally differently. Oxford is basically Hogwarts. I would highly recommend.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I didn't really have to interact very much with the program leaders. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I really appreciate living on campus with the British students at St. Catherine's College, which is not possible at every Oxford college |
| * Food: |
English food basically lived up to expectations, which were not very high. Certainly edible, not particularly exciting |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Oxford is a wonderful college town, and I loved the British people I met. There are always events in college or around the university. I just had a wonderful time. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I would say on average at least 60 pounds a week. Oxford was a very expensive city, and my college provided basically only dinner at a discounted price. There are lots of sandwich options for lunch, but between 3-5 pound sandwiches every day, some groceries, nights spent at the pubs etc. my weekly expenses definitely added up. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Bank of America customers can use Barclays ATMS without being charged - that makes a huge difference. Be careful how much you are spending on your pay-as-you-go phone: they are cheap to get, but its easy to use up your credit really quickly. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Think about whether you want to live with British students - some of the older, more classically 'Oxford' colleges house their study abroad students across town (the only exception I found was Worcester College). |
