Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

CMRS: Renaissance Level Fun with a Medieval Workload Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/04/2018 to 04/14/2018 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury – CMRS Oxford Humanities Program

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I made a lot of American friends from other colleges that I still hang out with. I also learned how to write an 8 page essay in 3 hours which I think will help me going into senior year. I learned to work and study material at a new level and became a much stronger writer. I also had the opportunity to travel around other countries which I'll always remember fondly and be grateful for.

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.

I feel as though I learned a lot but sometimes the coursework could be overly rigorous, such as giving us three days to research and write a 16 page essay.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Very attentive and made an effort to get to know us.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I was mostly content but there was constantly a toilet paper deficiency. The students brought it up to administration multiple times but the problem was never rectified. Students began to stock toilet paper for times of shortage and considered buying their own personal roll.

* Food:

Would have liked more money provided for the dining hall, relied almost exclusively on cooking for myself.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I didn't feel very integrated because we didn't have much interaction with actual English students. Felt as though I met much more Americans than English students. Would have liked more field trips and cultural immersion.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I luckily did not need healthcare during the program but heard from others that it could be difficult to walk or get transport to the closest clinics. However, they got good care and it was free.

* Safety:

I felt very safe in the city as a whole although the street right outside the housing could get sketchy at night.

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

I loved the other students and the city itself. I felt very safe and loved the pub culture. The sense of community between students in the dorm was even better than in any housing I've had at Midd. Even though I didn't make lasting local friends, I believe I'll be in contact with all the American students I met for a long time.

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)

Fairly easily, food wasn't incredibly expensive although the conversion rate fooled you into thinking you weren't paying as much. If Middlebury didn't include food costs into my aid I would have been very stressed.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $70
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Be shameless about studying in coffeeshops and not buying anything. Also don't eat out too much or just get tea and a snack when you do.

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

  • Other
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • The other students
  • The university
  • The city
* What could be improved?
  • The toilet paper
  • Integration with actual Oxford students
  • The quality of British food though that is probably out of CMRS's control
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew that I would have as much fun as I did work. Going into it, people stressed the workload so much that I wasn't very excited. I wish I knew that I'd actually have a lot of fun and be more excited for a great semester.

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 Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Modern Architecture
Course Department: HARC
Instructor: Horatio Joyce
Instruction Language: English
Comments: I loved the class and getting to use the cities of Oxford and London to analyze building from different decades in real life.
Credit Transfer Issues: