St. Clare's, Oxford= 5 Star Experience

Studying abroad in Oxford, England continuously goes down as one of the best times of my life. I think the best facet of the experience was the dynamic of living in a small town with one of the richest intellectual histories in the world but only being an hour away from the hustle and bustle of big city life in London. St. Clare's also provided the unique opportunity to live with international students. So despite being an English-speaking country, I also learned a good deal of Dutch from my roommate, German from the girl across the hall and Spanish and Korean from friends around the house. Day to day life consisted of grabbing a fresh scone from the Marks and Spencer down the street, hopping on the bus to my first class, and having a roundtable discussion with my professor and about six other classmates. St. Clare's employs the Socratic method so we were able to debate and steer the discussion of any topic in whatever direction tickled our fancy. It's such an interactive way to learn and moreover, puts students and teachers on a more level playing field so a mutual respect for each others ideas is formed. After class, there may have been time to wander the cobblestone streets of City Center, watch punters on the Thames and take in a lecture at Oxford University. Afterwards, the discussion would continue at the local pub with students and professors alike. It truly was like one large family, so much so that it immediately felt like a home away from home.