Arcadia Abroad in England & Wales

Obviously, studying at Oxford was academically rigorous. This isn't going to be your typical study abroad experience! While many of my peers refunded from their study abroad experiences with stories of their ABUNDANT free time, I came back with a bag filled with essays and a mind filled with knowledge. Through Arcadia, I experienced an authentic Oxford education-- I lived on campus with other students, studies in the Radcliffe Camera, and drank at the local historic pubs that all became familiar. Oxford, itself, is absolutely breathtaking and walking to and from lectures was like walking through history. You will be held to the same standards as the matriculated students, but if you have a sense of discipline, you'll be able to work during the days and have your evenings and weekends free to socialize and travel. The program provided a wonderful orientation in London. Though I wish we had had more contact throughout my stay, they were very responsive and supportive whenever I reached out to them. If you're thinking of traveling abroad and you want to challenge and surprise yourself, there is no better place than the "city of dreaming spires." Good luck!

My experience at Arcadia's Oxford program refined me as a scholar and grew me as an individual. I was placed in Hertford College, conveniently located next to the main library (Radcliffe Camera), one of the most iconic sights at the university. My peers at Hertford were incredibly welcoming. I relished getting to know new friends in the dining hall, where we ate all our meals, and on the rowing team, which I joined and raced with in the Summer VIIIs Regatta in May. The city is beautiful, and I felt I had so much mental space, so much time to linger over a tea in a corner cafe, or walk through Christ Church Meadow. I blogged a lot and even read for fun. There was certainly room to travel on the weekends and on the six-week Easter Vacation between Hilary and Trinity terms, for which I backpacked through the continent.

As far as scholarship--I study Renaissance Literature, and was paired with two expert professors for my one-on-one tutorials. My tutors invested in me and challenged me to engage with a wider range of texts, pushing me to generate a body of scholarship I was truly proud of. The lectures at the English Faculty truly impressed, and you can go to as many or as few as you like--your schedule is flexible to your commitments, energy, and work load. The resources in the Bodleian Library are unparalleled (I got to handle a First Folio!) and the live theatre in London and Stratford was just a train ride away. I took much of this research back to my home university to incorporate with my senior thesis, and I can honestly say that the work done in Oxford is what has convinced me I can make it in an English PhD.

As for the staff of Arcadia, they were always there to support us through the tribulations of adapting to life in a new place. The orientation in London before the beginning of term introduced me to British culture and eased the transition to a foreign university and city. They touched base with us throughout the semester, and made sure we always had a network of support. They facilitate taking advantage of your time in Oxford to the fullest extent.

I really appreciated that Arcadia provided me with a group of friends to start my time abroad with. Some of the people I met during the first week remained my friends until the very end. With that in mind, London is a very big city and it's hard to make friends unless you have initial connections. My dorm was terrible--I was at the Frances Gardner House and there was absolutely no way to socialize. I would recommend Ramsay or Ifor Evans for anyone doing this program.

My experience with Arcadia's London Now program was one of my best college experiences thus far. I lived in the picturesque burrow of Notting Hill, right on Hyde Park with 20 other college kids from around the world. Although that last part about the 20 kids sounds horrifying, it turned out to be one of the best parts about the trip. All 20 of us got along so well, we found that we had a difficult time doing anything without everyone present. Every weekend we went out to see a different show in London's West End and we explored the night life of the city. One of my personal favorite nights included getting free tickets to The Cripple of Inishmaan through one of Arcadia's professors and meeting Daniel Radcliffe afterwards. After the show my friends and I headed out to Piccadilly Circus for a night on the town, finished off by a ride on the London Eye, and a beautiful hour walk back to our home. My biggest problem with living in London was how much money I had to spend doing everything I wanted to do (the conversion rate at the moment is really hard to swallow). Another aspect to living in London I took issue with is the amount of drinking. The majority of my roommates were either 19 or 20 years old and from the United States. Therefore, drinking legally became the highlight of their trip and I found myself drinking more than I ever had before. Although going out legally is a lot of fun, it can get old after a while and I found that a lot of people would rather get wasted than get to know the city they were in. Having said that, with 20 roommates its always possible to find someone who wants to explore with you. I left this trip having made some wonderful life long friends and learning a substantial amount about the culture of the United Kingdom.

The General Course is a really great program if you want to add a really impressive school to your resume but also have a chance to have fun. Classes are fairly difficult but you get a lot of time off. I had the chance to network with other ambitious students in my field of study.