Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Spring in Oxford August 27, 2025

By (Environmental Studies, Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/07/2025 to 04/19/2025 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury – CMRS Oxford Humanities Program

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned that while I appreciate rigor and learned a lot through my tutorials, I also really value interdisciplinary learning, group discussions with other students, and hands-on learning outside of the classroom. I'm glad to have experienced the tutorial system, but my main lesson from my experience abroad is that it's not the best learning style for me personally. The one-on-one attention from my tutors and research course supervisor was excellent though, and I'm very grateful for the top-notch tutors that CMRS was able to arrange for us.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

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

I'm grateful to have experienced academics at a world-class university like Oxford, and my tutors and the academic staff at St Michael's Hall helped me grow a lot as a writer and scholar

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)

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Planning meals ahead and buying groceries once or twice a week, rather than every day, is helpful for saving money and limiting food waste

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?
  • Academically, I loved the research course the most
  • Socially, I'm really glad to have been part of a cohort at Oxford. I think studying at Oxford could be quite isolating socially because of the tutorial structure, so I'm glad that the CMRS program had fellow students and academic staff to support us
  • I also loved the field trips! Keep doing those!
* What could be improved?
  • I didn't find the weekly lectures to be a good use time during term, which is already a very busy time
  • I enjoyed my seminar, but adding the seminar course in addition to two tutorials during term felt overwhelming and beyond the workload expected of a matriculated Oxford student
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? You don't have time to do much else other than academics. I found it very difficult to have a robust social life, have time to relax and pursue hobbies/extracurriculars, and meet local students because of how much work the program is. I felt like I was constantly in "finals week" mode throughout the entire term, which led to burnout by the end of term as a result.