OPUS program review Past Review
By Ruizhe M (Physics and Economics, DePauw University) for
OPUS - The Oxford Programme for Undergraduate Studies
Definitely. Studying in a new country allows you to access a lot of interesting things that tourists have no access to.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
As I said, the tutorial system did not appear to be a lot superior than it was said. I got this impression may partly due to the tutors that I had. One of the tutor was a post phd student from Michigan and did not know the tutorial system better than I and the other tutor was very laid back. The tutorials should be one to one or one to two, but mine was one to four and included very limited discussions. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Actually very helpful when you are on site. Once my power adapter for my laptop was broken, and the director ordered one for me and paid half of the expense (because it was the house maid who broke it). Frequently sent reminders about anything, including emails explaining culture issues. But before you arrive, you could hardly get any information (but does not mean you do not need this information). |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The house was nice with a fully equipped kitchen. Beddings are provided. The location was not satisfactory- very far from colleges and city center, where most events are held. The neighborhood was very noisy as it was by a major road of the city. |
| * Food: |
Very good food indeed. Served three course dinner every night. Sometime got very good dishes such as salmon and steak. Very cheap-2.05 pounds (about $3) for the dinner if you have a season ticket. Lunch was buffet style and was a little more expensive but acceptable, in the 3-6 pounds range. But the quality of food varies greatly with college. I stayed at Christ Church college. The only thing that I did not like was that you have to eat at a certain time as it was served. You cannot have a snack or something during off-time. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
There were some free trips offered by the program but due to time conflicts I did not attend any of them. I traveled a lot by myself and found it very impressive. I went to Warwick Castle, Bath, London, Cambridge, Liverpool, Manchester, Edinburgh, Lake district and Scotch Highlands. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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Finances
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* 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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 70 -100 pounds |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | No need to purchase text books as they are mostly available in the college and university libraries. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | If possible, try direction enrollment to Oxford University - may have much better experience |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Classical Mechanics |
| Course Department: | Physics |
| Instructor: | Anonymous |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Tutorials are tailored and different depending on the instructor and students. I did one worksheet and studied Matlab in addition to the material. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | The OPUS is extremely low efficient. Not getting my grades yet. It has been two months after I finished the program. |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Economics of Industry |
| Course Department: | Economics |
| Instructor: | Anonymous |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Paper intensive course - wrote four papers for the eight weeks of study, in addition to a presentation. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | The OPUS is extremely low efficient. Not getting my grades yet. It has been two months after I finished the program. |
