A wonderful experience, learning a new lifestyle and culture. February 12, 2025
By A student (Psychology, Wellesley College) - abroad from 09/09/2024 to 12/07/2024 with
IFSA: Oxford - England Study Abroad Program at Lady Margaret Hall
I gained new experiences and new ways of learning. Oxford students are very hardworking, determined, and passionate, something that I really enjoyed seeing and it made me feel very inspired. They all love to learn and so many of my friends on my sports teams were PhD, masters or medical students and had so much experience to offer. It was worthwhile because the location is beautiful and the history is also amazing.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I enjoyed the academic rigor, resources, libraries and my tutors. I also enjoyed the access to lectures and the same experience as typical matriculated Oxford students. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The LMH host experience was very welcoming, friendly and they helped a lot with integrating us into Oxford culture. The hosts created a "buddy" program, where three 3rd year students accompanied us before other students arrived. I really enjoyed this aspect because not only did we have an on campus resource, they also showed us the routines of Oxford students. However, I would say that there was a delay in communication sometimes since we would not hear anything for a while. There was also only one move in day. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The living arrangements were very nice, the only thing is that each student had very different dorms and living spaces. I do not mind this, but if there was a way to live near older students or integrate more towards Oxford students near our age, that would be better. |
| * Food: |
The food in the dining hall was good and reasonably priced, the only thing is that there are strict dining hours and only one place to get food in the college. There is also no dining hall open on Sundays, meaning we chose to cook a lot. This was fine for me, but I know a lot of other college students from the US were not familiar with this lifestyle. Maybe if we had more resources like pots and pans accessible, it would be easier for us. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt pretty well integrated to the local culture, but mostly because I joined a varsity sports team. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Oxford is a wonderful city and feels very safe, especially late at night, it is always filled with students. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I liked the fact that study abroad at Oxford has many resources that allows you to learn. I felt that I had great conversations with the people around me, my tutors and mentors. I feel that Oxford is one of the few programs where you feel truly integrated in the college experience of students in a different country. |
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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $60 |
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? |
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? | I wish I knew more about the tutorials I was taking and the tutors that were offered. |
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 LinguistYou 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! |
