Lost, Dazed, and Confused Past Review
By A student (Sarah Lawrence College) - abroad from 10/01/2012 to 06/24/2012 with
Sarah Lawrence College: Oxford - Sarah Lawrence in Oxford
My experience was only worthwhile in the fact that it taught me to appreciate my life in the US, and to not take my life there for granted.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | University of Oxford- Wadham College |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
There was little notification of bank holidays foreign to us when literally every business and office would close. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
While the rooms themselves were the best I've ever seen on a college campus, I did not enjoy living off campus, or out of college. I felt that I was not integrated into British life, and rather, living in a mini Sarah Lawrence. Perhaps, in the future, the SLC program students could be mixed in with other students if they must live off campus? |
| * Food: |
I would've like to have had more access to on campus or in college dining. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I did not find the locals very welcoming, even though we spoke the same language. I was made fun of (by complete strangers) more than once just on the basis of being American. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had no idea what my world health insurance was for; no one in the UK ever told me that there was private health care in addition to an NHS. The ER was hard to reach on weekends or after hours by bus. The British ER is also completely different from an American ER in that you are only supposed to go if you have broken something. I was asked why I was there for my minor pains (which weren't minor to me) and told to make an appointment with my GP, which would've taken weeks. |
| * 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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| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $50-$100 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Don't go to Europe expecting to travel; the prices are much more exorbitant in the US inside one country. However, there are many discount airlines for international travel. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I would've known that Oxford is a gated, stuffy city. The people are most definitely not down to earth. |
