Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

An incredible and life-changing experience Past Review

By (English Language and Literature, Middlebury College) - abroad from 10/06/2014 to 06/19/2015 with

Lincoln College, University of Oxford - Visiting Students Program

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
My year abroad expanded my world literarily, literally, and personally. It was more than worthwhile.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

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 imbalance between the american dollar and the british pound was very frustrating, especially as visiting students already pay more than twice as much as regular students for college fees and tuition. Moreover, one has to pay extra in order to dine at college, which is the cheapest option (at around 4-5 pounds per meal) and there are no stoves or ovens in the JCR kitchen with which one can cook.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? Around $70-100.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Not really. Simply to keep track of one's expenses.

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
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
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?
  • The people I met
  • The ways it challenged me to improve as a writer
  • The rigorous amount of reading expected of one
* What could be improved?
  • I don't really have any suggestions.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I feel like I was well-prepared. Anything I didn't know and had to learn was only a part of adjusting to the Oxford system, and that's simply something one has to go through.

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!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Victorian literature
Course Department: English literature
Instructor: Timothy Michael
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The course was rigorous and the tutor challenged us to write more concisely and precisely. My class participation abroad and at home are equal. We were assessed mostly by weekly essays, though we also had presentations and collections (exams) each term.
Credit Transfer Issues: I have to complete this survey before I will be able to transfer credit.
Course Name/Rating:

Old English
Course Department: English literature
Instructor: Mark Williams
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The course was very rewarding and the teacher was very knowledgeable.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Literary Theory
Course Department: English literature
Instructor: Dan Smith
Instruction Language: English
Comments: We had two papers, several classes, and reading assigned for this course. It was enriching and helpful to do.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Modern Literature
Course Department: English literature
Instructor: Timothy Michael
Instruction Language: English
Comments: We were assigned major texts (as usual) such as Ulysses, which in typical Oxford fashion we completed in a week, and wrote an essay on in the first week without ever having a class. Such an approach is both rewarding and frustrating, since there isn't enough time to properly go through a text, especially one as massive and dense as Joyce's Ulysses.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Renaissance Poetry
Course Department: English literature
Instructor: Peter McCullough
Instruction Language: English
Comments: and his course had extensive reading, as all the Oxford english courses do, and opened my eyes to the world of Renaissance poetry and drama. The classes were perhaps the best aspect of the course, as Peter McCullough could share his vast and meticulous knowledge of the period with us.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Shakespeare

Course Department: English literature
Instructor: Peter McCullough
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Each week we focused on different ways to approach Shakespeare with, for example by looking at how he transformed his sources, the language in his plays, or how his scenic structuring contributes to the success of the play.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Myths and Nationalism

Course Department: English literature
Instructor: Mark Williams
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This course was an independent project built around fundamental texts in Western literature that interested the tutor and me. We covered a wide range, such as Yeats, Norse mythology, the Aeneid, Dante, and modern fairytale rewritings. I had a class every week and four papers to write for the term.
Credit Transfer Issues: