Best year, no hyperbole July 05, 2024

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I really enjoyed the tutorial system and found it a very effective way to learn. I had some really great tutors, too. However, incoming visiting students (particularly those from liberal arts schools) should be prepared to work much more independently than they would at home. I found that the tutorial system was really great for higher-level electives in my major, but I'm glad that I was at my home institution (with all of the office hours offered) for the core classes. Overall, academics at Oxford are fantastic. There are also so many interesting lectures to attend - it's really incredible. And they're open to all students, so if you wanted to explore topics outside of your subject you could.

On-site administration of your program

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Across the board, much better than anything you'd get at a U.S. university. All rooms are singles - some also get an en-suite.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I felt very integrated. However, my understanding is that this is variable by college. Generally, it seems to be easier to integrate at the smaller colleges. For instance, I was one of the only visiting students in my building at my college (St. Peter's College) whereas I understand that at other colleges (e.g., Worcester) the majority of the visiting students are segregated to a couple of floors.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

I give 5 stars relative to the U.S. because cost of living is, across the board, lower in Oxford than in most major U.S. cities. However, this would depend both on what you're used to in terms of COL and how often you want to eat out, etc. There was a huge range in students' budgets. You can absolutely live on a reasonable budget if you commit to cooking many of your meals, etc. Groceries were much cheaper than in the U.S. A bag of 6 pita bread, for instance, could be purchased for 60p - unheard of! However, if you wanted to eat out regularly that would definitely hike up your budget. Meals out ranged from 3.90 for a meal deal at Tesco, to ~7 at the outdoor market, to 12+ for a meal in a restaurant. Hall food is additionally available at a reasonable price (just under 5 pounds for lunch at my college's hall, but some colleges were slightly cheaper). It's great to have this option for times when you don't feel like cooking. It was very good quality, too. Food aside, there are generally plenty of free events to attend. One thing to note though is that many of the student societies charge fees for entry.

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• Dorm

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

• Better work life balance
• Incredible academic quality, opportunities
• Lovely people

• More academic support - particularly for courses which are pset-based
• More accessible student societies (entrance fees could be at times prohibitive)
• In some cases, greater integration between the visiting student population and the full-time student body (but again, this varies widely by college - it wasn't at all an issue at St Peter's but I would recommend talking to past visiting students about this before choosing your college)

The Academic or Linguist