Program Reviews

The Oxford Royal Academy Program at St. Catharine's College was one of the best social and academic experiences I have ever had on a summer program trip. I admired the amount of diverse cultured people that came from all around the world. They were extremely friendly and some of the best friends I have ever made. The teachers, staff and counsellors were extremely helpful, fun and friendly. In my Mathematics, Business and Management study courses, I had the same teacher who taught and communicated very well with me and my peers. The activities that the counsellors were truly fun, especially a game called, "Powerball," developed by one of the head counsellors. There are so many favorite memories to choose from, but I especially loved going around Cambridge and hanging out on campus with the new friends I made. I came out of the program with more knowledge on the courses I enrolled for, especially business and management. Most importantly I came out with a wonderful experience and great new friends.

I thoroughly enjoyed the two weeks I was able to spend at Oxford. The people were amazing including the staff and teachers. The faculty was beautiful and we go to visit some beautiful Oxford sites. I wish we could have had a little bit more free time to go into town by ourselves (with a group of friends) as I was only able to do that once for half a day. The food provided in the cafeteria was very delicious and I loved the fact that we had so many choices of food. To improve the medicine course we could maybe have a visit to a hospital or some kind of physical work experience just to see what will be expected of us once we enter the field of medicine if we choose to do so.

I joined this program because I wanted to learn new thing, and I learned so much. I was very nervous the first day but I quickly learned that everyone there is very welcoming.being there taught me that meeting new people can lead to long friendships and that taking risks is okay. It helped me learn what I was interested in and it will benefit me a lot in the future.i think that anyone who isnt certain about what they are interested in academically should consider going.you will also learn a lot about other cultures from the many people around the world

My experience with ORA was a unique experience that I am blessed to share today. I am from Guatemala and this was my first time traveling alone. I was assigned to stay at Lady Margaret Hall. At first I was scared but the staff from ORA was very kind and they welcomed me and made me feel more comfortable. With the experience of ORA I not only learned from our morning classes but I also learned outside of class. It was amazing to be able to meet people from all over the world! It was awesome to observe and learn other cultures and how we all have something in common which is humanity. Even tho we were all so different we all had something alike. The afternoon activities were very interesting because not only did I interact with my classmates and friends but I also learned some of British culture. One of my favorite experiences were punting and also being able to participate and win the LMH talent show. Also the parties where awesome because I was able to meet people from another campus as well. Overall it was a privilege to representy country and I feel so blessed to being able to have this opportunity.
Thank you.

ORA 2018 was one of the most incredible 2 weeks of my life!
Not only were the lessons constantly challenging and exciting but there were so many opportunities to explore Oxford.
The extracurrcular opportunities like punting and the CSI activity were so engaging and provided one of the most unique and cool experience of Oxford I could have ever wanted.
The life skills and experience from simply being there have set me up well for my final years of school and into university.

The Oxford Royale Program has been one of the best summer programs I have enrolled in so far. I truly enjoyed the international environment that made remarkable cultural exchanges possible. I also found the program very academically challenging, as the whole group got to study different subjects that are not always present in schools back home. Additionally, we were very motivated to contribute with our opinions and our background in debates, which were started almost daily. The friendships I got to build during the weeks are lifelong ones for sure, and now I know I have got a home in parts of the world I have always wanted to visit. In conclusion, I am thankful for this experience, and I would most likely enjoy a second time with Oxford Royale, too.

In general, attending Oxford Royale Academy was an interesting, eye-opening, and happening experience. I learned lots, met unforgettable people, understood new cultures, and enjoyed myself. There were also a few problems; heat and disorganization were a key part of these issues. Although these problems were there, I do believe they were very small and that the great parts of the program outweighed them.

My experience was unique because it gives me an insight of my career options.The programmes were amazing and the food was so so good with different variety.There could probably be more activities included.The courses were challenging as I enjoyed the CPR, dissecting etc.Our teachers were also very resourceful and I think the knowledge gain is worth the money.However the London tour was too short and we weren’t allowed much freedom to tour around.There were lots of places that we didn’t manage to go for example Parliament House,Big Ben etc.

I took the 2-week- English Advanced course in Balliol and it was just great. The lessons were interesting and really interactive and all the people there- Staff members and students- were kind and helpful. The time went by too short. There were many activities from which you could choose the ones you like to take place in. Some of them were compulsory, nur that was only 2-3 in a week. A Problem for peole under 18 is that they are not allowed to leave the campus alone. Also I think, it would be really good to have Access to free war er.

Before I went to Oxford for the summer courses I did not have a clear vision for what I wanted to pursue or what I was interested in. However, after my time there I realised what I am most passionate about. My experience there was truly memorable and a lot of fun. I’m going to miss every aspect of my time there (my multiple attempts at punting, the wonderful food and the gorgeous campus) and I am very glad that I had the opportunity to experience so much, have so much fun doing it and make so many wonderful friends. Thank you for everything.