Visiting Student Programme at Oxford University (Lincoln College) Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The academics at Lincoln College were as rigorous or more rigorous than those at Middlebury. I read most of the major canonical works of English literature from 1500-present in a single year, something that would require at least two years of well-selected courses at Middlebury. The academics were also just as and often more intense than Middlebury's, with one or two essays due per week in addition to expected participation and a mountainous reading list. For a literature student, I would say the average week of work at Lincoln is roughly equivalent to finals week at Middlebury -- lots of writing and reading but relatively few other things to take up study time, leading to a situation in which I did more work, more quickly than I have ever done at Middlebury but generally felt less pressured and stressed. There is a vibrant intellectual culture at Oxford, far more so than at Middlebury, and if one chooses to become immersed in it this adds further intensity and rigor to academic work and daily life. There resources are unparalleled -- probable by any university in the world, save perhaps the likes of Cambridge, Harvard, Berkeley, etc. The library system alone takes up more buildings than comprise the Middlebury campus, allowing students to write far more rigorously researched essays. The online resources were also incredible, with a vast array of services and databases available for free.

On-site administration of your program

The administration was hard to access and charged absurd amounts of money for silly things.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I was housed in a college room, which was beautiful and spacious, with its own bathroom. All Middlebury students can expect in-college accomodation. The other in-college students are all first-years, making integration very easy and convenient!

The food was good for an institution cooking for such numbers, but even though it was often well-prepared it was extremely unhealthy. Nearly every vegetable was boiled, removing all of its nutrients, and meat was served three times a day, every day. Butter was used copiously. There were vegetarian options for all meals but they were often extremely unappetizing and tended to be thoughtlessly prepared. The menu grew repetitive within a month.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Very easy to integrate -- I felt at home in a week or so. Living near the first-years, who had not yet met, was a big help to this. England is an easy culture to adjust to, although the English eat terrible food and everything is wildly overpriced.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I had no health issues at all and never dealt with the health care system. Contraception was supplied for free by the college.

Oxford has its dodgy sections and its posh sections. Safety in general was never an issue for me and I never heard about any safety issues with anyone else. All buildings are accessible only by Lincoln College keycards.

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

This is hard to answer. There were 172 pounds put on my card for food, but this ran out about halfway through each term. Unfortunately, I had to keep going to the dining hall and paying for food because Lincoln provides no kitchen facilities and takeout is extremely expensive in England (as is eating out). Feeding myself and taking care of personal expenses became very financially burdensome as each term wore on and I ended up quite deeply in debt.

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• Dorm

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• Local Students

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• Local Students

• academics
• university life and intellectual culture
• accommodation and integration

• finances
• food
• administration's communicative skills

The Academic or Linguist