Not Immersive Enough Past Review

By (Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/01/2018 to 04/18/2018 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury – CMRS Oxford Humanities Program

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned the most when I was traveling, but not all students will have the privilege to do this, so for the general middle or lower class student population, I do not think that this program in particular is worthwhile. There was also hardly any support system for students of low income status. Everyone seemed to just assume that all the participating students were well-off or wealthy, but this is a general problem amongst all study abroad programs.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

There are programs that better integrate the local culture into the study abroad/college experience. We were mainly surrounded by American students and it was difficult to form any substantial relationships with Oxford students or faculty.

Finances

* 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)

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Oxford culture is unique and one of its kind
  • Making friends with people within the program
  • Tutorials
* What could be improved?
  • Immersion with the Oxford campus culture
  • More transparency with grading
  • The unreasonable deadlines
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? There is nothing you can do to prepare for the academic coursework. This program barely gives you any time to write your seminar paper or research paper (the latter is a bit more generous with time given). I wish I knew that the tutorials and seminars are taught by professors who sometimes seem too unconcerned for their American students. There will be off-handed racist remarks and microaggressions throughout the year too.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you.
The Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!