An Incredible Experience at St Peter's Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I had a fantastic time with the academics at Oxford. I took courses in the Geography and Economic departments, and I found the tutorial system to be something that I really enjoyed, as it allowed me to have more free time to myself and to shift my learning and essay topics to the subfields of the topic assigned that i was most interested in. However, I did find the more quantitative, problem sheet-based topics to not translate well to the tutorial system, as I essentially had 1 hour of office hours with my professor weekly as opposed to the 8-10 I’d have at my home institution. Overall, the academic learning is quite independent and there is no coddling or hand-holding as there is in the U.S., so make sure you are quite passionate and driven to learn about the courses you will be taking. As for the rigor, I found it to be quite fair — my professors at Wellelsey were much harsher with grading, but it was at Oxford where I learned how to consume literature and draft essays very quickly and efficiently. One thing I really enjoyed was the immnse breadth of the library resources — I didn’t spend a single penny on books or learning resources for me to complete my assignments.

On-site administration of your program

Peter's is as friendly as they say they are -- everyone, from the master of the college to the porters, makes it clear that the college community is quite welcoming and approachable. With regards to the visiting student program, the administration was very friendly and they really tried to be as inclusive and welcoming as they could be, although I think more events bringing together all the visiting students would have been nice.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in off-college accommodation (a 5-minute walk from college) with third-year Oxford students the same age as me and really enjoyed the experience. My accommodation was ensuite and it was a single, and we even had someone clean our room once a week, so I was very pleased. The weather in the UK can be quite cold and humid, though, so I had my heater on for most of the time.

Food in the dining hall is okay. I would eat a meal once or twice a meek at hall more for the social aspect. The food was relatively meh (I was always happy to have the salt and pepper within an arm's reach), but the food at the weekly formal dinners at Peter's was delicious!

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Oxford is quite an international student body, so overall, I don't feel that I got quite a completely British experience, but that's okay. While I did befriend a few Brits, the majority of my friends were visiting students and international students from America, Canada, Germany, and Hong Kong.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I did not have a major health issue, but it's helpful that students that do go abroad for a year fall under the National Health Service's purview. That said, I did try to schedule an appointment for a routine physical and found the wait to be too long, so I opted to just delay that for when I return to the U.S.

Oxford is an incredibly safe place, and I have never had any reason to feel unsafe, even walking alone home at night.

Overall, I had a fantastic experience at St. Peter's. By no means was it perfect, but I grew so much from attending this program and in ways i would not have had I just stayed at my small liberal arts college for my junior year. I am considering doing my postgrad at Oxford, so that's a testament to what a great experience I had.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Saving money on necessities like food and toiletries was quite easy for me, as i mainly cooked for myself. However, the real money drain was the cost of membership to extracurricular societies and entrance to events, lectures, and balls. I was quite active with societies, particularly sports, and membership fee for those is anywhere from $80-120. I also spent $250 on a ball ticket. There is also the implicit pressure of buying the "stash" or clothing with the insignia of whatever society you join. Overall, it is quite different from the U.S. system, which "absorbs" all these hidden costs of social life in the $77k/year total cost of attendance, but that's because domestic tuition is very inexpensive for UK students.

Select all that apply

• Dorm

Select all that apply

• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

Select all that apply

• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

• Academic experience
• International student body
• Fun events and opportunities

• Better integration with British students
• Decreased cost of societies and events
• More contact hours for problem sheet-based courses

The Networker