Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Ideal Academics Past Review

By (English, Brandeis University) - abroad from 10/01/2016 to 06/17/2017 with

St. Catherine's College, University of Oxford - Visiting Students Program

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned a lot about my subject, and did a lot of travelling on my own.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The ideal academic situation: you hand St Catz a list of what you want to study and they make it happen. (Except classics. Don't try to do classics here. Go to St Anne's or something.)

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Oxford on its own is a total bubble, and with direct enrolment, you're on your own for seeing anything else in the country. I made a few British friends, but I also saw a lot of American students who only hung out with other Americans.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Full-year students have NHS health coverage, so you can go to the doctor for free. In my experience, mental health coverage, though, is shockingly inaccessible. The university offers six sessions--anyone with a long-term mental health concern will need to make arrangements with a private provider and private insurance.

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

I expected to be able to study ancient languages as part of my classics degree, but that wasn't really offered at St Catherine's, as I discovered once I was already there. I would have gone to another college if I knew that St Catherine's wouldn't allow me to fulfil the credits I needed for my second major.

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)

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • Other
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Independent study
  • Friendly people
* What could be improved?
  • Holiday accomodation
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Immediately after term ends, you're kicked out of college for the five-ish week breaks. Finding someplace to go for that time is expensive (flying home is expensive), but a really great time for travelling, if you can afford it.

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 Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!