Learning Abroad in Oxford, England

U of T offers so much in the realm of learning abroad, including traditional exchanges as well as the Summer Abroad program, in which you take a U of T credit in only 4 weeks! Learning abroad is such an enriching experience, and I’d recommend it to anyone that asks. Here’s my experience!

My Destination: Oxford, England

I arrived in Oxford, England on August 4, 2024 for my month studying abroad! We were staying and studying at Worcester College, one of 30+ colleges at the University of Oxford. After arrival, we were given a tour of the campus, including our rooms, courtyards, study spaces, a common room, our lecture room, and even a little pond!

Worcester College

Campus Pond

Common Room

Our college also featured its own pub, an underground gem where we could unwind after long days of learning, studying, and writing. Despite my normal aversion to karaoke, our sing-along nights quickly became a group favourite and one of the ways we bonded the most.

I think my highlight at Worcester, however, was our high table dinner, held the evening after our final exam. After a month of intensity, late-night study sessions, and fully-immersing ourselves into the course, we could finally put it all down. Complete with a cocktail hour, a Latin greeting speech, and the fanciest food I have ever been served, our final high table dinner felt like the perfect culmination of the month. And of course, we all got to dress up in our finest clothes.

Overall, living at Worcester felt like stepping into a different academic world, one that made the whole experience feel both historic and incredibly special.

Academic Experience

The day after arrival and orientation is when we began our classes. As a Psychology Specialist, I enrolled in PSY306Y0 Special Topics in Psychology Abroad: Disability: Culture and Inclusion. Through lectures on campus alongside field trips to fascinating museums, we learned a great deal about the history of, perspectives on, and experiences of disability around the world.

Each week brought a new mid-week field trip destination. In week 1, we went into London to visit Bethlem Museum of the Mind and the Museum of Military Medicine. The next week, we visited the London Science Museum (my favourite!) and the British Optical Association Museum. Finally, on our last group trip to London we saw the Foundling Museum, The Galton Collection at UCL, and visited Freud’s London house (now the Freud Museum). Through these various stops, we learned about such a long and rich history of disability and mental illness, not only in the UK but globally as well!

Candidly, the month was academically intense - as can be expected with any other U of T course! 

A full year class condensed into only 4 weeks was rigorous, but taught me a great deal about time management, prioritization, and truthfully, how hard and how far I am able to push myself.

Looking back, this intensity was a huge part of the value of the experience; I left feeling more confident in my abilities and more proud of what I could handle.

Exploring Outside Oxford

As with all university experiences, my month abroad was not only academic! Outside of our structured field trips, groups of us would often visit other cities and made sure to explore all Oxford had to offer.

Unsurprisingly, we frequented London (my favourite city in the world), where we explored coffee shops, street markets, and pubs of course! 

One of the coolest parts of study abroad opportunities is realizing that the world quite literally becomes your classroom - there is so much to see, and everything feels new.

Halfway through our trip, we became more ambitious and decided to spend the weekend up in Edinburgh, Scotland! After a not-so-short 5 hour train ride, we arrived and spent the next two days on our feet non-stop: exploring coffee shops, walking up the tallest hills, and viewing all the historical sites.

Despite our heavy workload, I’m so glad we carved out time to explore these extra cities, even one in an extra country! These moments helped me make the most of my time abroad and created memories with friends I’m still close with today. They reminded me that studying abroad isn’t just about where you learn, but how you grow through the experiences you choose along the way.

Opportunities for you!

As I mentioned in the beginning, at U of T there are a wide range of global learning opportunities. You can learn about all the opportunities to study globally on this website, and I would strongly encourage you to do so! Below are some of the specific programs offered between U of T St. George and Mississauga.

• Exchange Opportunities: Traditional semester/year exchange at another institution
• Summer Abroad: Where you take a UofT course in another country relevant to the course topics - this is what I did!
• UTM Abroad: A short-term international experience built to fit into your reading week, unique to the UTM campus.

Studying abroad was one of the most valuable experiences of my degree - academically, personally, and socially. If you’re considering it even a little, take the leap. It might just become the highlight of your university years.