Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Libraries. So many libraries. 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?
Part of my more holistic experience was experiencing the UK and getting a sense of what a country that was a former colonizer, which still keeps somewhat peaceful ties with its colonies, has grown from those times to now. As well as getting to explore avenues of education I might want to venture in within the country.

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

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:

I am quite the picky eater, and am pleased to say that most food agreed with me, and we had the option to cook for ourselves or eat in the school's cafe/ restaurant.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Having participated during the Spring semester, it was a lot harder to integrate into student clubs such as dance which had audition in the previous term.

* 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)

It was much harder to comfortably fend for myself as I typically work on campus, but was not allowed to work while abroad in the UK.

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 one-on-one tutorial programs were part of my favourite experience. It was daunting at first, but something about the independence and full accountability made it worth while
* What could be improved?
  • Integration of local and international students. Granted, this is something that students studying abroad would have to work on, i.e. ensuring that they are not just in a bubble for students abroad and not students abroad+local students
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I had known more about the endless supply of libraries. I discovered a wonderful library quite close to the program's end date, and I wish I had looked into it earlier as it had a bunch of books that I needed (I found them in other libraries, but I wish I had explored more of the unfamiliar).