Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

One of my best undergraduate experiences! Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/03/2019 to 04/13/2019 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury – CMRS Oxford Humanities Program

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It was definitely worthwhile. I significantly improved my reading and writing skills. learned a lot about myself, and made many new friends.

Review Photos

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury – CMRS Oxford Humanities Program Photo Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury – CMRS Oxford Humanities Program Photo Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury – CMRS Oxford Humanities Program Photo Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury – CMRS Oxford Humanities Program Photo

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? Around $150
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Buy food at Tesco and eat more at the Oxford dining hall. The dining hall food is good, and you can save a lot of money.

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

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
  • Other
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?
  • Tutorial system
  • Freedom to organize my study time
  • Program location (Oxford, closeness to London...)
* What could be improved?
  • The way some of the classes are organized
  • Not all of the weekly World Lectures were equally interesting; I would say some of them could be replaced by more useful/interesting ones
  • Integration of CMRS students and local (Oxford) students
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew that I could take many different Economics courses and actually get a credit for my Economics major, as well as any language course at the Oxford Language Center.

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:

Behavioural Economics
Course Department: Politics, Philosophy, and Economics (PPE)
Instructor: Professor George Bitsakakis
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The teacher was extremely knowledgeable and well-prepared. The style of teaching and assessments were very different from my home institution, but I still feel I learned a lot.
Credit Transfer Issues: Have not tried yet to transfer the credit. I will do it once I come back to Middlebury.
Course Name/Rating:

Chinese language
Course Department: Oxford Center for foreign languages
Instructor: Dr Wendy Che
Instruction Language: English and Chinese (but mostly Chinese)
Comments: The course was great. I enjoyed the relaxed class atmosphere and my classmates. The intensity of the course was not the same as at Middlebury, and I still feel like I would learn more at Middlebury.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Christianity and Warfare
Course Department: History and Religion
Instructor: Professor Bernard Gowers
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The professor was very knowledgeable and well-prepared for every class. I learned a lot from this course and would take it again.
Credit Transfer Issues: