Classical Archaeology in Oxford Past Review
By A student (Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/23/2017 to 06/16/2017 with
St Anne's College, University of Oxford - Visiting Students Program
Oxford's academics trained me to improve my time management skills. Other than the once-a-week tutorials, I was completely on my own and had to strategically pace myself.
Personal Information
How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Very rigorous, expecting to be evaluated in Oxford standard. I wrote one-two 2000 word paper per week. |
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
On-site administration was OK, but I had serious problem transferring my transcript back. The St Anne's Study Abroad Office did not reply to my request for almost a year and it takes my professors at my host college to intervene to get this issue resolved. |
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Living was nice because 1. single rooms with sink; 2. in residential halls with real Oxford students; 3. Great weekly cleaning service |
* Food: |
Food was cheap and tasty in the dining hall, and has a decent variety. |
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Most social interactions were with study abroad students and students who are in the same tutorial with me. I hope there could be more events to meet British students. |
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I didn't use healthcare on campus, but used free health service in the town of Oxford. Exceptional. |
* Safety: |
The college and the town feel very safe. Everyone who walks in the main gate is under the porters' watch. There is also a small gate for students who have a fob that's exclusively used at St Anne's. |
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
Middlebury also offers another CMRS-Oxford Humanities program, which is equally challenging but better tailored for transferring credit back to host institute. I might have done that so to avoid confusion regarding grades. Otherwise, St Anne's is a decent program, you just have to get ready to be academically challenged. |
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) |
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Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Probably $150 per week on grocery + other expenses. |
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Go to Tesco or eat at dining hall. |
Language
* Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
* 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 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 that I could have communicated more adequately with both St Anne's and Middlebury's Administrations. |
Individual Course Reviews
Course Name/Rating: |
Cities and Settlements |
Course Department: | Classical Archaeology and Ancient History |
Instructor: | Ed Bispham |
Instruction Language: | English |
Comments: | I got to read a few books on settlements in Italy before Rome. Professor Bispham is very knowledgeable and I had some great one-on-one tutorials with him. |
Credit Transfer Issues: | I have not yet received my grades yet. |
Course Name/Rating: |
Roman Architecture |
Course Department: | Classical Archaeology and Ancient History |
Instructor: | Stephan Faust |
Instruction Language: | English |
Comments: | |
Credit Transfer Issues: |
Course Name/Rating: |
Hllenistic Cities |
Course Department: | Classical Archaeology and Ancient History |
Instructor: | Aneurin Ellis-Evans |
Instruction Language: | English |
Comments: | |
Credit Transfer Issues: |
Course Name/Rating: |
Cities and Settlements |
Course Department: | Classical Archaeology and Ancient History |
Instructor: | Swii Lim |
Instruction Language: | English |
Comments: | |
Credit Transfer Issues: |