First-rate academic opportunity; little cultural immersion September 27, 2023

By A student (Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/04/2023 to 04/15/2023 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury – CMRS Oxford Humanities Program

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

Appreciated getting to try out a very different style of instruction, which ended up working much better for me than the traditional American lecture-style mode. Got a lot out of it in terms of knowledge & skills, but think the most important lesson for me was about how I best learn.

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.
* 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?	$35 + costs associated w/ traveling to other countries

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	International Students
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	International Students
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?	Tutorials were incredibly stimulating; tutors were extremely knowledgable and challenged me in great ways Students were all intellectually engaged & very committed to learning Opportunities for academic engagement outside of the classroom, eg lecture series, Oxford Union debates & speakers, incredible research/library resources
* What could be improved?	Kitchen wasn't in great shape Not much in the way of Oxford student engagement; we felt very separate from the larger uni
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	You've gotta hit the ground ready to run and be in the right frame of mind coming in - Oxford is a lot of work, you won't have much time to rest, and you are unlikely to be able to travel/party as much as many of your abroad friends at other institutions will. That said, if you want a stimulating, challenging, fulfilling academic semester, you'll be hard-pressed to find a better place to do it. Put a lot in and you'll get a lot out.

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!