Challenging, yet rewarding Past Review

By Seth Boswell (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?

I learned a ton about time management and being able to digest a large volume of material in a short time span. This was very worthwhile as it is an important skill for life beyond Oxford.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	Large amount of reading and writing compared to a typical Middlebury Course.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	Helpful and joyful, always had a positive attitude.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	Building was old, although I don't think much can be done about this.
* Food:	Acquired my own food.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	Integration came from participation in a club.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	Did not have too many health issues.
* Safety:	No issues with safety.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes I believe the entire experience was extremely rewarding and enriching. If possible, I would do it again.

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 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)	No money issues
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	100$/week
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Do not eat out, but only simple ingredients from the grocery store.

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?	My economics tutorial The research paper Living at Oxford
* What could be improved?	Building Seminar Access to local academic instiutions
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	How many things there are to do at Oxford!

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:	Advanced Macroeconomics
Course Department:	Economics
Instructor:	Dr. George Bitsakakis
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	Yes, course was VERY challenging. Professor Bitsakakis worked through a vast amount of material with a large amount of reading; however, it was quite rewarding. The teacher was highly knowledgeable and I was assessed based on papers, projects, and assignments.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	International Relations
Course Department:	Political Science
Instructor:	Dr. Paul Hansbury
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	Yes, there was a lot of reading, writing, and preparation for each course. Course topics weren't especially challenging, but the workload was. Professor was highly knowledable about the topic and capable during our meetings. He challenged my ideas constantly and made me rethink what I had written on each individual paper. Assessed based on papers and a project.
Credit Transfer Issues:	No

Course Name/Rating:	Vikings, Saxons and Heroic Culture
Course Department:	History
Instructor:	Dr. Antje Frotscher
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	Course was not very challenging until the last week where we were required to write a long essay in a relatively short period of time. Dr. Frotscher was highly knowledgable and capable of teaching, although I felt like the majority of work I did in the course came near the end.
Credit Transfer Issues:	None