Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Hard work, but great friends and a great time. Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 08/28/2017 to 12/08/2017 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury – CMRS Oxford Humanities Program

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned a lot about my study habits, and my abilities to learn independently, which I would not have learned at Middlebury.

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.

Very challenging program, but great support staff, and an amazing experience overall.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Paul Monod and Bernard Gowers were phenomenal.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

St. Michael's hall is great, central. accessible.

* Food:

You cook for yourself

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

This is hard for the program to facilitate, but it felt slightly isolated. Joining activities helped.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Can't speak to this--never had to deal with it.

* Safety:

Felt very safe, but I'm a white guy, so I can feel safe in most places.

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

I made great friends and learned a lot.

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)

Groceries were the only main cost, and there are inexpensive grocery stores.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $100
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Don't eat out. Cook for yourself.

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

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

Select all that apply

  • 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 academic program
  • Being in Oxford
  • The administration
* What could be improved?
  • Transparency about course difficulty
  • integration with local community
  • grade transparency
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? How much writing the academic work is.

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:

Enlightenment Political thought
Course Department: Philosophy
Instructor: Michael Drolet
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Very challenging course, lots of writing, but Drolet is a phenomenal educator and made it feel very worth it.
Credit Transfer Issues: