Semester at Wroxton College - An American Campus in England

A simple curiosity about my life brought me to Wroxton College. Truly a life-changing experience. I made "sisters" for life who challenged my interpersonal skills. I became a new person with new aspirations. My experience got me out of my comfort zone and brought out a new and more confident me. At Wroxton, I was at my happiest state in life, body and soul. Wroxton is now my UK home even though I have family whom I can go home to in all state of the UK. Now, I plan to work in London 2 years after graduation! See you then Wroxton!

I studied at Wroxton exactly a year ago and it was the best experience I've ever had. The opportunities provided to me at Wroxton exceeded all of my expectations. I stayed in a beautiful room (room 10!) and visited so many exciting places. Above all though, my biggest kudos will always go to the staff at Wroxton College. The faculty there are the most kind, welcoming, and supportive people I've ever met, and I feel absolutely blessed to know them all. I miss everyone so much, and thank them for all they've done for me.
What's great about the travel possibilities through Wroxton College is that there are free bus trips every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, as well as two three-day trips to Edinburgh and Paris, fully sponsored by the college. You also get ten days after midterms to travel wherever you please! I went to Italy and Spain, but also went to Belgium on a different weekend!
I would recommend Wroxton to anyone and everyone. It's cliche to say, but it will without a doubt change your life for the better.

I knew going into college that I wanted to study abroad and specifically study abroad in England. Wroxton College gave me the perfect opportunity to learn in the traditional English way of learning, tutorial style, while living in a historical abbey but still having the opportunity to travel and explore. Wroxton College is accommodating to any and all majors as long as you plan appropriately. They also offer different programs with different lengths of time to fit anyone’s needs.

Living in the Wroxton Abbey is like stepping back in time. The history of the Abbey is something in and of itself that can keep someone entertained for a semester. Each room has its own piece of history. Some may be concerned that with a typical class of 45-50 it would be difficult to find a quite place in the Abbey but there are plenty of little hide aways that you could always find the space you need. Or if you would rather the comfort of your own room, most of the rooms at Wroxton are singles with on suite bathrooms.

When studying at Wroxton for a full semester, you learn in the traditional English style of learning. Typically you have 2-3 hours of lecture for each class a week and a 1 hour tutorial every other week. Lectures from range anywhere from a typical professor lecture to watching a movie, going on a trip, or having a special guest speaker. For tutorials, the class is broken up into groups of 3-4 and every other week a subject is assigned that the group is expected to present on. It gives the students the opportunity to take what they have learned in lecture and in their own studies and present it back to their professor in great detail and in fun and creative ways, for example as a podcast like I had to do for one of my English tutorials. This also gives the professors an opportunity to discuss on a more personal level anything that a student may not fully understand.
Grading at Wroxton is mostly weighed on essays and finals. All classes are different but for me I had essays dues about every 2 weeks between the 5 classes I was taking. All Wroxton students also take a class called The Anatomy of Contemporary Britain or known to students as “Inter”. Inter classes are taught by all the professors at Wroxton and focus on modern day England. Lectures include topics such as politics, culture, literature, art, sports and leisure. When you first arrive at Wroxton, you are given a list of topics and questions that you then have to write essays about for Inter. These essays are done at your leisure and are due in week 10 but these are the least stressful of the essays because they are based on your experience while living in England. For example, as a hospitality major, I choose to write an Inter essay about the concessions at a Premier League soccer match we went to.

While spending a semester at Wroxton, classes are scheduled Monday-Thursday and then there are trips every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Most trips are not mandatory but there are some that are required for classes. You sign up for trips the week before and give a 5£ deposit which you then get back as long as you show up on the bus. There are also 3 long weekend trips throughout the semester, London, Edinburgh, and Paris. These give the students 3-4 days to explore the cities and do whatever they want to do.

Wroxton College is located in the small, white, and close knit Wroxton Village. I never personally felt in danger while at the Abbey or roaming around the village. Larger Banbury is just a few miles up the road and it again is a very safe community. Wroxton has struck rules about who is allowed into the abbey and they keep track of who is in and out of the abbey using firecards. Wroxton students are also given Wroxton IDs so they can identify themselves as a Wroxton student.

Studying at Wroxton is an experience that you will never forget. You become a part of a large alumni pool who you can share experiences with no matter when the studied at Wroxton. Because Wroxton College is just a campus of Fairleigh Dickinson University, being at Wroxton provides you with all the normal support networks you would have at either of the New Jersey campuses or the Vancouver Campus. Wroxton does their best to balance all the hard work and long hours you put in with dance parties and fun events. They hold multiple formal dinners throughout the semester which is typically followed by the pub being open in the buttery and a DJ in the lecture hall. We also had trivia night and a scavenger hunt throughout the abbey. I was there in the Fall semester so we had a Halloween party and special Thanksgiving dinner. We also decorated the Wroxton Christmas tree and were given presents from Dean Baldwin. All personal books based on what he has learned about us throughout the semester. This goes to show the deep connection you grow with professors at Wroxton. Because you live and study all in the same environment, the professors and staff at Wroxton see it all. I always found there are there to lend a helping hand or useful advice on anything you are dealing with.

The Wroxton Experience is something I recommend to everyone who mentions studying abroad. I met my best friends while at Wroxton and found my home in England. It helped me grow as a student and as a person. It talk me that you can appropriately mix homework and classes with travel, fun, and a trip to the pub. A semester at Wroxton will be the longest 15 weeks when you are there in the middle of writing essays but once you look back on the time, you will realize it all went too quick.

I did a short term program at Wroxton for my MFA, and it was a truly wonderful experience. The campus is gorgeous--it looks like it was pulled from a movie. You can walk the grounds and enjoy the fresh air, and there's plenty to photograph.

I loved the intimate setting that Wroxton provided for my program. I felt like I bonded a lot with the group, and the lectures were all interesting and worthwhile. The staff at Wroxton is incredibly friendly and accommodating. I have some food allergies and they went above and beyond to make sure I was cared for at every meal. My room was also great, and there's even a cleaning staff that tends to the rooms multiple times a week.

The location is remote but it's easy to call a taxi to go places, and the local train station can get you to larger cities. I went to Oxford one day, and it was less than a 20 minute train ride.

I'd recommend this to anyone who has the opportunity. It was great for my writing, and I'm so grateful I was able to go.

The building and grounds are unmatched at Wroxton: you'll live in a facility full of more beauty and history than most museums. The faculty and staff are kind, and the peerless education you'll receive will set you in good stead for your future academic and professional career. Their connections to political and academic expertise will provide you with opportunities you would never get anywhere else. Wroxton's proximity to Stratford, Oxford, and even London mean that you'll be near to world-class experiences.

The title of my review states how I felt about Wroxton from the first time I saw it in the Fall of 1991, and how I still feel about it today. My experience living and studying abroad there changed my life. I found in myself a sense of self-reliance I had not known before and the classes I took there changed my view about the purpose of Education. The physical place of the college is beyond compare, including the building itself, the grounds and the surrounding countryside. I highly recommend taking advantage of Wroxton's beauty, walk in the grounds as often as possible, explore the village and other places nearby. There are some amazing footpaths that run right next to the grounds of the college. Go explore!!
The classes offered at Wroxton make strong connections between information shared in class and the outside world. If you study British politics you will have Members of Parliament as guest speakers and tour the Houses of Parliament. If you take the Shakespeare classes, as I did, you will read the plays in class, discuss all aspects of the plays including variations in meanings of words, as well as staging. You will attend lectures at the Shakespeare Institute in Stratford and see the plays performed on stage at the Royal Shakespeare Theater. These experiences are a far cry from reading excepts of Romeo and Juliet in your high school English class. Take advantage of every opportunity, go on every weekend trip you can and be open to all the new experiences that living abroad provides. Go! You will never regret it. Wroxton had such an impact on my life that I have gone back twice to visit, once with my future husband, and then again with my husband and our children, and I still sy it is the most beautiful place on earth

Academics:
The professors at Wroxton really care that they present the information in lectures in a fun and engaging way. Moreover they actually care that you are retaining the information and that you are enjoying your time at Wroxton, and in the UK in general. I was a STEM major and decided to take a semester off from my major and satisfy some general education requirements my college had. Wroxton is perfect for that, I encourage all STEM students to take a break from math and science and spend a semester here!
Professors I had: Dean Baldwin, Dr. Morris, Dr. Garrity, and Professor Hart

Support:
Whether you need support in America before you get to Wroxton or support in England, it is always there for you. All Wroxton staff including Brian Swanzey, reception, cooks, cleaning staff, John, Ron, Andrew, Dean Baldwin, and all of the other professors are amazing and will stop at nothing to make sure you have all the information you need and are completely comfortable.

Housing:
I can't stress this enough: living in the abbey was a priceless experience that I would give anything to have again! You literally live in a mansion during your time at Wroxton. My room was giant with mahogany furniture and a king size 4-poster bed. The rest of the abbey is equally as stunning with cozy spots to study and watch movies and play games with your friends. The gardens and grounds are breathtaking, offering countless hours of exploration. Don't get attacked by the swans!

Safety:
I never felt unsafe at Wroxton. The campus is kept very secure and you are required to participate in many fire drills to prepare you for if there ever was a fire!

Fun:
Wroxton is FILLED with day and overnight trips typically Friday-Sunday every week (some weeks the trips are Thursday-Sunday). Oh the places you'll go. Scotland, France, London, Cambridge, Oxford, Brighton, Stonehenge, countless other places. I have never travelled so much than when I was at Wroxton. You aren't required to go on these trips, but they are always there if you do want to go, all inclusive too! Or if you prefer to travel on your own, that is easy! I had Friday-Monday off every week so it was easy to travel on the weekends as well as the fall break when you have about 12 days off.

Overall:
You will not regret going here!!

Many of my college classmates studies abroad and attended more urban schools. Wroxton is a very different experience and one that I am so grateful for! It is a magical place and a unique learning environment that combines rigorous academics with a spectacular setting as well as plenty of opportunity for trips to cultural sites and cities. I am not a "city person" so the location and setting were perfect for me. No exciting night life nearby but plenty of fun!

Take advantage of every single day or weekend trip. Soak it in!