Go for the City, Not for Oxbridge Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Some students had a great experience with their classes, yet the classes I took were less than organized. The teachers failed to provide a syllabus, and it was obvious that they did not have a plan for the four-week course. Additionally, the trips that were taken around the city often failed to connect with the subject of the class.

On-site administration of your program

There was multiple instances of miscommunication on the actual rules of the program, and they were changed throughout the course of our stay and did not align with the handbook. For example, the Oxbridge handbook says that smoking is not tolerated within the program, yet students were allowed to smoke- at times even with the faculty (which I found inappropriate). Another rule that changed regarded the quiet hours. At first, it was clearly stated that quiet hours were to be at midnight. Yet, people would get in trouble for being "too loud" at 9, 10, or 11 p.m. Additionally, multiple students complained about the lack of respect from the faculty. Some students even felt as if they were "targeted" by specific members. Personally, I had many experiences where the faculty came off as unnecessarily rude or impolite.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I didn't have any problems with my room, and I actually enjoyed the living conditions we were in. However, it was unclear on the site that the majority of students would be in single rooms; it was stated on the website that students would be in doubles or even triples.

The program provided breakfast and dinner which was a good option for students who were looking to potentially save some money. However, the breakfast consisted of bread, cereal, and sometimes fruit (apples/peaches/oranges) and mostly failed to provide anything other than grains. I ended up simply not eating breakfast most days, but that was a personal decision. The dinner was okay, as there were a lot of options. However, two of my friends got food poisoning on one of the nights, so I opted for eating out in the city most of the time.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

It was very obvious that we were foreigners in France, but the Parisians were (most of the time) friendly.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

First of all, we did not need any vaccines for this program. Secondly, I didn't have any health issues, so my rating only comes from what my friends had to say. The program was not allowed to give us any medicine, so we had to purchase it ourselves at a local pharmacy. If the condition was more serious than a medicine could subdue, then a staff member would walk the sick student to a hospital. The student would then pay for their hospital visit which could be a hundred euros. Overall, the program did very little to assist the students, and the students were mainly independent in taking care of themselves. For example, my friend had an allergic reaction, and the program failed to do anything about it. However, this was simply program policy. Lastly, if a student was sick and missed class, the student was not allowed to leave the building for that day.

Overall, the program was pretty safe and there weren't any incidents. However, the independent nature of the program allowed for sketchy situations to occur in the city, which were mainly inevitable.

I would choose the same program in a different city. I talked to other people doing Oxbridge in other locations (England, Spain, etc.), and they did not have the same issues as Oxbridge Paris did. Although the program has been established for awhile now in Paris, it felt like it was Oxbridge Paris's first year running the program.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Select all that apply

• Dorm

Select all that apply

• Americans
• International Students

Select all that apply

• Americans
• International Students

• Friends
• Independence
• Paris

• Staff
• Rules
• Activities

The Outright Urbanite