Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Best experience of my life, regret not going for a whole year. 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?
How to conduct good research and write longer papers. How to be a more effective researcher and to more efficiently use resources. How to live in a city as a opposed to a rural campus. It was definitely 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

Oxford is beautiful and a pleasure to be in, the CMRS staff are kind and very helpful. The courses are challenging but also rewarding. Students are kind and social. Activities are abundant. Travel within Europe is a great bonus of being in the UK.

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $1000
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? 1) Invest in bulk cooking items and ingredients, such as pasta and rice. 2) Book tourism travel before hand so that tickets are extremely cheap.

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
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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?
  • Professors and Staff
  • The city itself
  • Going to museums, touring the UK and historical sights, and the field trips were awesome.
* What could be improved?
  • Give more time for the seminar paper.
  • More integration with British students.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? The value of being in a place like Oxford, and the opportunity to travel all around Europe for cheap.

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:

Christianity and Warfare
Course Department: History/Religion
Instructor: Bernard Gowers
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Bernard is extremely knowledgeable and the class was very entertaining and though provoking. The readings were very relevant and made great use of the facilities at Oxford. The assessments were clear, fair and adequate.
Credit Transfer Issues: No
Course Name/Rating:

European Politics
Course Department: Political Science
Instructor: Gjovalin Macaj
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Horrible class. Gjovalin did not want to be there, readings were insanely excessive and unfocused, assessment standards were unclear, and overall bad experience with little learning taking place.
Credit Transfer Issues: No
Course Name/Rating:

Old Testament Studies
Course Department: Religion
Instructor: John Jarick
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Excellent class and very thought provoking. Assignments were adequately challenging but definitely worthwhile and enjoyable. Loved the discussions, syllabus was clear, and John was extremely helpful and kind. Also, extremely knowledgeable about the subject matter.
Credit Transfer Issues: No