Hard work creating experiences and self-discovered confidence. Past Review
By A student (English Language and Literature, Wellesley College) - abroad from 10/06/2014 to 06/19/2015 with
St Anne's College, University of Oxford - Visiting Students Program
I gained so much from this program, and most of that derived from the fact that the visiting students were very separated from the undergrads. I would usually describe myself as an ambivert with the heart of an extrovert, but the head of an introvert. It's very hard for me to be self-motivated to meet people and, initially when I discovered that I would be living largely with visiting students and attending classes with only visiting students, I was as close to panic-attack level that I have ever been; though I chose this program for its academic merit, the appeal of making undergrad student friends was also a huge driving force and motivational factor. The way I initially met people was by walking into the dining hall alone and sitting down with random tables which was terrifying, intimidating, and occasionally discouraging. And then I made one friend. And then another. Soon enough, I knew nearly the whole college, had become comfortable with small talk, and somehow become a more confident person who was more comfortable with herself. It was a wonderful, wonderful thing for me. This year has been such a year of self-growth, though I initially imagined that this self-growth would largely pertain to academics, it turned out to be more communication. Looking back on it, I wouldn't have it any other way. I even introduced into the JCR (the college's version of an all-encompassing student government with a Woman's Rep, Wellfare Rep, etc.) a position for Visiting Students so that next year, some other visiting student can be more actively involved and find a way of encouraging other visiting students to meet the undergrad student body.
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. |
The hardest thing about the courses was the workload, as opposed to the work. Some of the tutors I had were DPhil students (Grad students) and they had not quite perfected the art of the tutorial so, many times, I didn't feel intellectually stimulated. The essays themselves were fun to write and pushed me, yet it was difficult to read a book and search for a thesis or essay topic from the get-go. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
There really wasn't much help with integration and I would actually say it was rather miserably done. There was more focus put on us getting along with other visiting students rather than us getting to know the actual undergrads. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I loved where I was living by the end, but at the beginning it was difficult: I was housed in a dorm with 45 rooms, 33 of which were occupied by visiting students, once against making it hard to meet undergrads. |
| * Food: |
There was always an option for me to eat and, though not always delicious, it was still good just the same. Not many dishes containing vegetables though and, for my vegan and vegetarian friends, meal times were often a little tricky. The formal halls were delicious, but they made it hard to accommodate for nut allergies. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I integrated very well by the end, having mostly undergrad friends. This was not easy and I really had to push myself to meet students. There were other visiting students who came away with not a single british friend, so it took a lot of self-motivation to meet people. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had two health scares (which turned out to be nothing) during my time. The actual nurse at St Anne's was… not the greatest and didn't help much. I saw her once about an issue and she told me it was nothing, only to email me about an hour later saying that I should probably book an emergency appointment at the local hospital. The doctors at the Jericho Health Center (down the street from St Anne's) were phenomenal though and were extremely reassuring with a wonderful bedside manner. The second time I had an issue, I just called an booked an appointment straight away with the woman I had seen prior at the hospital, rather than have to face the college nurse again. |
| * Safety: |
I always felt very safe and never found myself in harm's way. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
It's hard to say exactly how much I spent - on weekends you need to spend money on food because the dining halls are closed. I also did like attending coffee shops a lot (so many good ones in Oxford). |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I would say it varied, but I spent about 50 pound to 150 pound a week. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Eat soup in hall for lunch, it's always delicious and is the cheapest option on the menu (you pay for your meals each time). Also, at St Anne's they had a coffee stop called STACS (St Anne's Coffee Shop) that served cheap coffee and also served as a wonderful space for social interaction as well as studying. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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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? | 10+ |
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 had known that I would be living with visiting students and attending classes with only visiting students. It was a shock when I arrived and it was very discouraging to realize how much work I would need to put in in order to meet the undergrads. |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
