Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Challenging but good February 12, 2024

By (History, Middlebury College) - abroad from 08/28/2023 to 12/09/2023 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury – CMRS Oxford Humanities Program

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I thought it was worthwhile, and enjoyed being abroad.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

One my classes(the Crusades) was super hard, but the rest were fair in my opinion.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

The budget for food was only $75 for the term, which isn't enough.

* 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? Yes

It was my only option as someone without another language.

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)

It was fairly hard to live given the lack of food being provided.

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? I would try to find a cheap shop that you can go to for a quick beat and keep the drinking down.

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

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

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Direct access to professors through tutorial system
  • Opportunity to travel to Europe
* What could be improved?
  • Standardization of grading would have been nice
  • More communication regarding grading might've been nice
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? It's a lot of reading, and you really have to be efficient in planning your schedule to do things on the weekend due to the heavy workload.

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:

Crusades
Course Department: History
Instructor: Dr.Guy Perry
Instruction Language: English
Comments: It was extremely challenging, but I learned a lot. The requirements in terms of reading were a lot, but it taught me how to read more efficiently.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Islamic World

Course Department: History
Instructor: Jan Tomek
Instruction Language: English
Comments: It was a good mix of challenging and fair. I learned a lot in the class and really enjoyed it overall.
Credit Transfer Issues: