Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Horrible at first but ultimately really excellent Past Review

By (English Language and Literature, Theatre Studies, Wellesley College) - abroad from 10/06/2014 to 06/20/2015 with

University of Oxford - Visiting Students

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I pushed myself academically, harder than Wellesley ever could have done. Socially I didn't have to do much, because work took up all my time. I was quite lonely for a while, but once I found my people I had a couple of wonderful months. It would not have been worth it to me to go for less than the whole year, and I advise all programs to accept only full-year students. It takes a long time to integrate into a place like Oxford, no matter how clever or outgoing you are. Terms are only 8 weeks long, so you need more than one to get your feet on the ground.

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.

The education at Oxford is the best in the world, but only for those who come into it driven and focussed. I was lucky, and worked very very hard, and so I got a lot out of it. But it is really not for the faint-hearted, and not for the dispassionate. I worked hard because I loved my work, but the one time I didn't love a subject it was very hard for me, since work takes up 95% of your time and energy. So five stars for intensity, but not necessarily for fun/positive experience.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The Visiting Student Programme at Lady Margaret Hall is much better than the programmes at other colleges I came across during my time at Oxford. We had one-on-one tutorials, which is the core part of the Oxford experience, and lived in with the other students, with all the mess and noise and life that dorms entail. They were also very attentive to our needs, having regular check-ins with our administrator and head tutors.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The usual dorm life. We were housed with freshers, which I suppose is logical (if not particularly fun -- we are fully three years older than them).

* Food:

Food in hall was good, kitchens were pretty hard to use though.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

It is a fact of study-abroad life that you will always be The Foreign One in the room. That never changes. However, once I got involved with the extracurriculars that I love (granted, that took months to arrange) that mattered less because of my personal merits in other capacities.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Absolutely excellent. I was covered under NHS because I was there for the full year. Wonderful. And the nurse at LMH was a delight! The healthcare system in the UK is SO MUCH BETTER than what we have in the States -- come on, America! Catch up!

* Safety:

Very safe.

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

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)

The exchange rate is quite bad from the dollar to the pound. I was lucky to have some help from Wellesley, but I have lost a tremendous amount of money this year. The above scale is misleading -- I was very frugal and cooked lots of my own meals and spent about $80 on food/expenses each week, but that is a lot of money for me and my family.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $80
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Apply for as many travel grants as you can. Constantly ask programs for money/financial aid. Prove yourself worthy of it.

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

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • the tutorial system, and my wonderful tutors
  • extracurricularly: the access to real professional-level theatre for students
  • educational independence, and the feeling that I had earned that independence
* What could be improved?
  • less focus on getting the Americans to hang out -- we have nothing in common aside from nationality, and I didn't cross the ocean just to make more American friends
  • only full-year students at Oxford. It's best for everyone -- the students and the programme (even the university) as a whole
  • more help with visa applications, please!
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Be more aggressive -- even though you're in a new place and want to play it cool, time will pass and people will move ahead of you. Choose what you want and go get it! Don't worry about being the new kid or being foreign: all of that will pale in comparison to the actual fact of You and your talent and your passion.

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!