Study Abroad Advice/Tales of Your Experience

mini
Mon, 24 Jan 2005 19:11:36 +0000

“Can study abroad students get involved in all those things or is it specifically for the full time students? And do you know how competitive choirs or theater productions are?”

If he is enrolled at the University of Oxford, he IS a full-time student. Each of the colleges has a choir, so if he is in an American-ancillary program, he will need to make an effort to attach himself to one of the colleges. There are also the Oxford Bach Choir, and the University Choir or some such, which are by audition. To get a real taste of things, he should find a way into one of the college choirs. (the most competitive are New College, Magdalen, and Christ Church; some of the others go begging for singers.) But the university-wide societies are fun, too. And there are HUNDREDS of little music groups.

Many of the individual colleges have their own theatrical societies. Some of them, like the one at my college (Worcester), are rather famous. Others are more amateurish. There is a Gilbert and Sullivan Society. The Oxford Rep. is very competitive (that’s where Richard Burton got his start). And lots and lots and lots of smaller theatre groups.

Oxford has 8-week “terms” - there’s Michaelmas, Hilary, and Trinity terms (they are named after the 3 terms of the law courts); there used to be 6-week periods between, which is when you get to do your major travel. You take the hovercraft to the continent and hitch, or get a Eurail pass, and go from hostel to hostel (ah, those were the days.)

If he is at all athletic, he should learn to play cricket!

I second the idea that he should go for as long as possible. After two years, I just began to feel like I was getting settled! Which U.S. institution is he attached to? I know Williams has a long-standing Williams at Oxford program, tied to Exeter College.

It will be a great experience! Mine is planning a year in Florence (though this summer she is planning to go back to South India, with a little side trip to Pnom Penh.)