My return trip from the United Kingdom was signficantly less smooth than the way up. But my getting bumped off a flight, having to spend a whole day sorting out new flight plans and accomodations for the night before getting on a flight the next day and losing my luggage is besides the point. This was only the END of the journey, a journey that was significantly more joyful than airport customer service lines!
Overall, I really enjoyed my time in Oxford! I loved the classes I took- Dr. Peacock and Dr. Peterson are both excellent teachers, and the subjects they were teaching were both very interesting on their own. On top of the baseline great classes, being in the places being taught about, using the city itself as a learning tool, is a unique experience unlike what you’d get at UA. Studying in Oxford with this program really opens up a lot of opportunities you wouldn’t get as just a tourist, like access to the Bodlean Library and the Radcliff Camera, or even the experience of living on campus in a college in Oxford, which gives you more freedom to decide what you want to do with your time, and experience the more mundane aspects of life at Oxford. At least, I think that’s a bonus. Maybe someone more exciting would disagree.
If you’re considering studying abroad, I would say it’s a good time, but there are definitely variables to think about. Know what you’re getting into, and think about how it fits into your degree and budget. The professors try to keep the costs down, and it’s cheaper than a trip to England plus six credit hours at UA, but if your scholarship is by semester like mine is, it might not be worth it without some extra scholarships. In addition, going into a program like this, you really have to be prepared to make the most of both the trip and the academics. I personally have regrets about this, I feel like I didn’t go out into the city as much as I should have (although, to be fair to myself, I was sick for two of my three available weekends). It’s impossible to see everything in a city like Oxford, but it’s important to do your best to get the most of your time and money!