A Year In Oxford, An Experience for Life June 22, 2022
By A student (English and Creative Writing, Wellesley College) - abroad from 09/01/2021 to 06/18/2022 with
St Anne's College, University of Oxford - Visiting Students Program
I definitely learned to be more self-sufficient and a better student. It was definitely worthwhile.
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. |
At Oxford, you truly hit the ground running. In the English program, I was writing essays every other week and reading loads of course materials, making for a very rigorous and academically demanding program. However, you could definitely find support in the tutors. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
My admin were extremely kind and supportive. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I had a single and other than going up three flights of stairs every day, had little complaints. |
| * Food: |
There is not a lot of variety in terms of what to eat at the dining hall, and much of the food is pretty expensive. It was hard to eat healthy without budgeting for it. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I made a lot of friends with local students and spent a lot of time in cafes, working. For the most part, it was very easy to integrate. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
The NHS are luckily free but pretty underfunded. While I was able to get quick fixes for treatable infections, my longer-term chronic illnesses were relegated as the cause for things without any kind of care treatment. I would definitely suggest having a good relationship with your doctors back home so you can advocate for yourself better in healthcare abroad. |
| * Safety: |
Oxford is a relatively safe place. I could walk home late by myself—although, I wouldn't suggest doing it all of the time. Definitely just be vigilant late at night and you'll be fine. |
| 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) |
The UK is already expensive to study abroad in, and Oxford is especially expensive. I would definitely suggest saving and budgeting. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $50-100 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Budget, budget, budget |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 10+ |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | American food is better |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
