Brexit, beer and blotsofwriting Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 09/09/2019 to 12/13/2019 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury – CMRS Oxford Humanities Program

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Worthwhile.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Very rigorous. Lot's of writing and reading. Learned more than I did back home in Middlebury.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Accessible.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Very satisfied.

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

N/A

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

If you are coming from Middlebury, Oxford as a town is a HUGE step up in providing basic amenities like grocery stores within walking distance, more than 2 places to drink with friends and a Zara. If you are under 21, you can buy alcohol and consume it responsibly without the fear of Pubsafe writing you a citation. If you like reading or writing about things you are interested in, this is the place where there are the best resources (libraries) for you to do it. If you like many chances to improve and quick turnaround feedback for improvement, this is also the place because you will likely be writing an essay for each of your tutorials every week and receive feedback for your work immediately instead of at Middlebury, where you only have 2-3 chances to show your writing chops to a professor, who returns your essays basically at the end of the semester - after you've written all of your essays. If you enjoy having some autonomy in your learning experience, this program is amazing.

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)

Not easy. I didn't keep an eye on my budget and generally spent only on necessities and splurged on a few travel experiences. Food was my biggest day to day cost. I do think it ended up being less than Middlebury's fall semester cost overall.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? I spent on average around $150 on food a week, which is a lot for a student.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? No. I think it is important to experience your study abroad the way most natural to you if you can. I'm not saying spend all your money on dumb things, but I'm saying within reason, try to maintain a freedom in experiencing food / travel / etc. when you are abroad, and prepare yourself by saving up prior to your abroad experience. Also M&S has this amazing 7 pound meal deal that's really cheap, healthy, and makes enough for 3 meals.

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?
  • Travel
  • Friends
  • Learning
* What could be improved?
  • NA
  • NA
  • NA
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Travel should be encouraged in the research essay month.

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!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

British Modern Art

Course Department: Art History
Instructor: Lynda Dennison
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Challenging and fruitful.
Credit Transfer Issues: