Challenging and Expensive January 15, 2025
By A student (Philosophy, Wellesley College) - abroad from 09/09/2024 to 12/07/2024 with
Worcester College, University of Oxford - Visiting Students Program
I do feel like I improved my philosophical thinking, reading, and writing abilities. However, I am not sure this was worth my general lackluster experience.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I enjoyed experiencing a new educational format. Oxford is so different from Wellesley, but I appreciated getting a deep dive into my subject and individualized instruction. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The visiting student director was helpful, although I would have appreciated a check-in earlier in the term. I did find Worcester's administration, particularly the accounts office, hard to work with. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
I would have chosen a program with more structure and in a more affordable country, or not go abroad at all. The combination of high expenses, lack of affordable on-campus socializing opportunities, and independent coursework made me feel isolated. |
Finances
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* 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) |
Participating in Oxford's social life can be quite expensive. I found this to be a barrier and it prevented me from making friends abroad. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 120 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | If you are low or middle income, or support yourself financially, this is not the program for you. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| 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? |
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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 I had known that there would not be opportunities to socialize for free on campus like there is at Wellesley. Everything at Oxford is an out of pocket expense, including clubs. I was not prepared for the pay-to-play nature of this program, and I did not have the funds to participate in it fully. |
