Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

What a Wonderful Whirlwind! January 15, 2025

By (English, Wellesley College) - abroad from 09/09/2024 to 12/06/2024 with

University of Oxford - Visiting Students

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned a lot about navigating transportation, problem-solving and planning (academically, financially, and travel-wise), and gained friends and experience travelling internationally.

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.

* 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?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

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

I absolutely loved the people I met, learning a new educational style, and exploring a new, international place. I certainly acknowledge that the institution itself is imperfect and the transition wasn't always smooth, but overall, the program was supportive and I greatly enjoyed my abroad experience.

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
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? I do think that purchasing groceries and doing one's own meal-planning is more cost-effective than eating out or utilizing the dining hall, but I do acknowledge it's also more time consuming and possibly less convenient.

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

  • N/A
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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?
  • Tutors and Tutorial System
  • Getting to interact with other Visiting Students, especially before the term began
  • Being in the city of Oxford
* What could be improved?
  • Better integration with local students
  • More communication ahead of term beginning
  • Better payment for visiting student tutors
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Most of all, I wish I had known more about the food situation. I think knowing more about my food options ahead of time would've allowed me to more easily budget and prepare financially for the costs. I also wish I had known a bit more about the academic expectations -- in the sense that I didn't realize JUST how much work would be on your own (including finding extra sources), but I do think this was partly tutorial-specific for me.

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 Nearly Native or Trail Blazer
Craving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.'