Study Abroad journal: Study at Oxford

For six weeks this past summer, the view outside my window was the beautiful city of Oxford, UK. I had the opportunity to participate in the UGA at Oxford Franklin Summer study away program. This summer was filled with excitement, learning and exploration. I was able to travel to the UK and be taught by Oxford Professors. My weeks consisted of exploring Oxford, traveling Europe, and many nights were spent in the UGA House library with my friends surrounded by books.  

Oxford is conveniently located. An hour train ride to London makes travel across Europe easy. During my time at Oxford, I was pushed to grow and improve as a student. While the experience of traveling and exploring a different culture are central to the program, the education you receive is priceless.  

One of the biggest pieces of advice that I can give to students considering Oxford is to be prepared to be unprepared. After experiencing the program, I believe that no matter what you do to prepare you are going to feel disoriented at first. Classes at Oxford are set up differently from our regular UGA class. You and one to two other students meet with your professor once a week to have an in-depth discussion about the material you read and wrote about that week. This style of teaching creates an environment where you have a lot of opportunities to express your ideas and get to know your professor. At first, this style of class can be very intimidating, for me it certainly was. I was nervous about having to read my essays aloud and afraid that I would look like foolish in front of my professors. However, the professors you work with want to see you succeed and follow your interests. By the end of the six weeks, I was shocked by how much I had improved.  

Even with all the work it is hard not to feel motivated to study when you are surrounded by some of the oldest and most beautiful libraries in the world, creaky floors included. The city of Oxford is filled with tons of things to do from punting on the Thames River to exploring the different Oxford Colleges. One of my favorite pastimes was wandering around the many parks and stumbling into antique stores. I would highly suggest applying to the program if you are looking for a change of pace in your college journey.  

Well done, Mianna and welcome back. Look for more stories about Franklin from Mianna this year.

Image: photo courtesy of Mianna Lotshaw