Program Reviews

My year at Reading (1972-73) was the best year of my life. I loved Britain and the British and have returned several times. I did not want to return home. Broadening my horizons was invaluable and travelling the world as a student is totally different than as an older adult. It was an experience that cannot be repeated. All students should spend time abroad.

Where to begin? The houses are great as a base of operations (and when you need some 'American' time). The 17 bus comes by every 10mins to take you into town. Walk or ride one of the house bikes to class. Reading has a great campus! 360, the uni nightclub is fun, and there is a good gym, as well as sports clubs - I did Ultimate Frisbee & Equestrian team.

Loved the weekend excursions to the Lake district, Stonehenge, Liverpool, etc. Just a great mix of academics (pass/fail system), culture, and socializing! Just go already!

The opportunity to live abroad for a year was absolutely tremendous, and particularly to have done so through such a high quality program. The program is very well run with terrific support staff and academics.

I really loved being there for the entire school year as it offered us a chance to see a broad spectrum of life abroad and really forced us to make it 'home' as opposed to just an extended trip.

It was such a great year. Reading is a short train ride from London and Oxford, allowing study in both. I learned so much in the classroom and out.

I came to Reading/R-MWC from a large, state school. My year in Reading absolutely changed my life, and it is a year about which I have absolutely no regrets. The people were incredible. Living in England in 141 Whiteknights is something I still miss, and I learned so much that year. Some of the best professors of my life were in Reading, and I was able to really get the most out of my education, taking everything from American Literature (in England!) to a final-year Environmental Biology class.

Being there a year made all the difference. We were able to immerse ourselves in "life at Reading," and because of that, I made friendships that endure to this day, and we all meet up every year or so for a "mini reunion."

I looked at a lot of study abroad programs when I was planning on transferring. This one was the absolute best -- program history, strong academics, great support, the whole shebang -- and I'm thankful every day that I made the decision to transfer and not only become part of the R-MWC family, but part of the long history of R-MWC Readingites.

I wish that I could express how much my year in Reading meant to me, but there are no words for how this program changed my life. It has been 14 years since I left the program, and the memories from that year are still so vivid. The education that you receive through this program and from immersing yourself in English culture for a full year is like no other. Reading is just a half hour from London by train, so you can easily access everything the historical, phenomenal city has to offer. It's also just a short distance from Oxford, Bath, and everywhere else in Great Britain and Europe, so the education that you receive from travel alone is worth every penny. I consider the professors who run the program to be among the best that I have had. And living in the three houses just outside of the University of Reading campus afforded us access to everything on campus and the freedom to explore the city around it.

I learned early in my year abroad that the British student takes work very seriously, but then has guilt free play time! Attend tutorials and seminars, do the research and written work, then join your friends for the evening.

I would wake up, have breakfast in the cafeteria, go to the library, tutorial, whatever - then there was always some dance somewhere!

I also joined friends to take a local bus to explore the country on weekends, or take a day trip to London - train tickets are inexpensive for a day-return - students can go into art museums for free! See first hand all the things you are learning about in books, it makes it all come to life, makes you really care about what you are learning. I was poor, so I'd pack marmalade sandwiches from breakfast, and buy a cup of tea somewhere!

Don't know about now, but there were always cheap - nosebleed - seats for great theatre or opera performances, and for dance, the panorama is best from up above anyway!

I traveled to Germany for my winter break, Greece and Italy for spring - again, poor, but rail passes, grocery store or market for food - one learns the language very quickly when negotiating for staples. I met so many people who were willing to help.

The experience at Reading is one I will never forget. I had tutors who would answer every question, or send me to find even more questions, which is even better.

The group tours we took to stately homes, palaces, gardens, after having the information about history, architecture, political climate - opened my eyes which, I hope, have remained open.

My year in the World in Britain program was formative and life affirming. While in Reading, I made many new best friends, gained cultural experience and sensitivity, had the opportunity to take graduate level classes in my area of interest (public health) and travel to amazing places. The program administration is the best with an in house program director to coach students through new experiences. The rapport the program has with the University of Reading virtually guarantees admission into exciting and interesting classes and an identity on campus. Reading is a great city only 30 minutes from Paddington by train and boasts the second best location in the South of England to shop next to London. The camaraderie I was able to establish with my peers and housemates is one that I carry well after graduation and the opportunity to return to Reading a few months ago, 2 years after I left, reaffirmed my opinion that this is the best program for study abroad in England.

I loved attending classes, working, and living in England for an entire year! I would definitely recommend attending for the year, instead of just one semester if possible. The field trips were amazing as we were able to see history that America simply doesn't have. The houses were wonderful to live in, and the roommates are great. Students who go to Reading in this program are interested in having fun, but also have an educational experience. That's a great combination... you'll make lasting memories and friendships!

I graduated in 2004, and my year abroad in the Reading program is still the best year of my life, for many reasons--the opportunity to take tutorials with Oxford professors, the proximity of Reading to London and the continent, and the sheer wonderfulness of the program director. One of my fondest memories is of taking a Victorian novel class with just one other student at the program director's house, where we'd discuss the 800-page book of the week over tea and with his cat purring next to us on the couch. Heaven!
Another wonderful thing about this program is that you go with a cohort of classmates, so you aren't just thrown abroad to fend for yourself; you're on a learning curve with other students from your institution. My sister spent her junior year abroad in Leeds but as an individual student, and she often felt overwhelmed because she didn't know who to ask for help.