Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Blackfriars Oxford offers excellent community paired with unrivaled humanities Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 10/01/2016 to 06/21/2017 with

University of Oxford - Visiting Students

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned so much about the importance of the humanities, community living, and the balance of work and leisure.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The professors were challenging, understanding and friendly experts!

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

We cooked for ourselves in a fully stocked kitchen, but were able to have lunch at a nearby college.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

The NHS is inefficient, but free.

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 200 pounds
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? The market has food deals late at night

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

Language learning was self motivated

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Beginner
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Intermediate

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • The other students
  • The academic rigor
  • Living in Oxford
* What could be improved?
  • Language learning for Classicists
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? One should learn how to cook before moving there. Also, in a place like Oxford where there is so much independent study, a firm schedule is essential!

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!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Theology of Thomas Aquinas
Course Department: Theology
Instructor: Richard Conrad
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Challenging, but well planned course which explored a range of Thomas' theology.
Credit Transfer Issues:
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Gospel of John
Course Department: Theology
Instructor: Richard Ounsworth
Instruction Language: English
Comments: We looked critically at the texts and reception of the Gospel of John, looking at difficulties in interpretation as well as the wider historical context of the Gospel.
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Course Name/Rating:

Classics in Translation
Course Department: English
Instructor: Clare Broome Saunders
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Heavy on reading, but a great sweep of Classical literature
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Course Name/Rating:

Graduate intermediate Greek
Course Department: Classics
Instructor: Mary Whitby
Instruction Language: English
Comments: We read a collection of Greek texts, focusing especially on Herodotus and Plutarch.
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Course Name/Rating:

20th Century Modern Lit
Course Department: English
Instructor: Clare Broome Saunders
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Very challenging but excellently chosen texts including Joyce Elliot Woolf
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Course Name/Rating:

Advanced Latin
Course Department: Classics
Instructor: Alex Wilson
Instruction Language: English
Comments: We read Ovid and Cicero. Great Course!
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Course Name/Rating:

Ancient Philosophy
Course Department: Philosophy
Instructor: Alison Samuels
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Alison was a fantastic tutor with an excellent knowledge of the texts.
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Philosophy of Aristotle
Course Department: Philosophy
Instructor: Alison Samuels
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Very challenging, but manageable tutorial. We focused mostly on the Ethics, but also covered a variety of Aristotle's work.
Credit Transfer Issues: