Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

WOW October 26, 2023

By (Anthropology, 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?
Much gained. It was worrthwhile.

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.

Incredibly rigorous - overly so

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

confused by role of Junior Deans. Mandatory, non-course related weekly lectures were poorly put together with a couple exceptions. These lectures as well as the field trips were events where we were treated like high schoolers. Otherwise no real issues with admin policies.

* 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? No

The work climate was not for me.

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? 150 ish
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Pret subscription

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?
  • Tutorials
  • Accent
  • Public Transportation
* What could be improved?
  • Much
  • Work life balance
  • Administration attitude
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? They hate Americans

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 Avid Adventurer
The wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Archaeology
Course Department: HARC
Instructor: Wendy Morrison
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Very Challenging; ; lengthy reading lists and good feedback on writing. Professor Morrison had me go to the Pitt Rivers museum and brought in a range of artifacts for discussion. I learned quite a bit.
Credit Transfer Issues: Lengthy proces- start early
Course Name/Rating:

Ethnographic Analysis of Drug Policy
Course Department: ANTH
Instructor: Benjamin Scher
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Very challenging, teacher was very knowledgable and actively doing field work in subject area. Tutorial so high level of participation and essay output.
Credit Transfer Issues: Go ahead of time
Course Name/Rating:

Bestiarys
Course Department: Literature
Instructor: Alexandra Paddock
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Quite challenging, weekly readings were complex and final essay process quite rigorous. Professor Paddock was incredibly knowledgeable on the subject.
Credit Transfer Issues: Credit hasn't been applied need for EUR req
Course Name/Rating:

Research Course
Course Department: HIST
Instructor: Richard Bell
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Very challenging. Professor Bell was incredibly helpful with research process.
Credit Transfer Issues: No