I’m currently a first semester junior at a SUNY School in New York. I’m also an international student here coming from Asia. Fortunately, I got into Oxford’s Study Abroad program through my college’s Oxford program and have the opportunity to go next semester.
This however, is a very expensive opportunity and will burn a huge hole in my parents’ pockets. I know studying abroad can be good for your personality and for you to grow as a person, but will it at all stand out on my resume? Do employers think students studying for a semester at Oxford somehow stand out a little more than other students in the United States?
Also, is Oxford going to help your case better in comparison to other universities you can study abroad at? Do employers care about what college you studied abroad in, or is going to a cheaper alternative that is not as well ranked going to be a better option for me?
If it is going to “burn a huge hole in your parents’ pockets,” then it is not worth it. Many students study abroad, even if it Oxford, it is a nice conversation piece during an interview, but nothing more.
In Asia (and in Europe) Oxford carries a LOT of prestige. It can open doors a SUNY won’t.
In the US, it won’t help much.
So, it really depends where you’re going after college.
Another issue is whether the money will come from - retirement savings? Loans? Then it’s a bad idea. Your parents can afford it even if it’s going to require belt tightening? Then it’s probably worth it. Note that you could try and wokr - November and December all kinds if students give their two weeks notice from their campus jobs, so the library, the cafeteria… Should be in need of workers. As an international you cannot work off campus but you can work on campus. I’d look for something with 10-12 hours.
IMO, a semester abroad- anywhere- won’t make a difference in a hiring decision unless there is something specifically relevant to the employer. If the semester abroad was in a country that is interesting to the employer that can be helpful. If it beds down a language that is useful to the employer that can be helpful. But, if your main objective is impressing prospective US employers, don’t do it.
As for working during term, I would be very doubtful that you will be able to pick up on-campus work at Oxford- even if you could handle the transition to an Oxford work load and work at the same time. For full-time student, Oxford says “We would strongly advise against you relying on income from employment to fund your studies as this may have an adverse effect on your ability to complete your course”. Moreover, there are not a lot of student jobs available, and as a visiting student you will not be top of the pile to get one.
^ I meant on campus work NOW (at current SUNY) since November sees lots of students getting overwhelmed with school work and quitting their jobs, so there should be openings (library and cafeteria). This way op could contribute to expenses.
Oxford has terms, not semesters - will you just go for the Hilary (spring) term or Trinity (Summer) term as well? One term is just 8 (intense!) weeks, during which you will not be able to do anything outside of school work.
Worrying about the „hole“ in your parents pocket, I am assuming you are going not for just one, but for two terms, in between which you will have 6 weeks which your friends who are not on a budget will use for travel all over Europe (possibly after they have recovered from end-of-term flu ;)).
In theory, you could use the 6 weeks before Hilary and the 6 weeks in between Hilary and Trinity to work somewhere you are legally able to do so (I assume not in the UK) and of course during the summer, which your richer friends will probably use for travel, too. And you’d better have those jobs lined up ASAP.
How much would be left for your parents to pay? And as other posters have asked, CAN they pay (as opposed to having to borrow the money from a lender, from you siblings futures (if applicable) and their own future retirement)?
Because if you can somehow swing it, those two weeks terms in Oxford will be something very special and the name will guarantee, at the least, attention in every part of the world, which may or may not translate into further opportunities - whether it does is completely up to you.
Whether it is worth it is not something anyone can answer who isn’t privy to your and your parents financial situation.
“the name will guarantee, at the least, attention in every part of the world, which may or may not translate into further opportunities - whether it does is completely up to you.”
Again, I disagree with this. It is not “completely up to” the OP whether s/he is able to translate a term or two at Oxford into further opportunities. More importantly a term or two at Oxford will not “guarantee…attention in every part of the world”. Adults know the difference between the ‘study abroad’ experience and the full experience (the same as they know the difference between an MBA from Harvard and an Exec Ed program from Harvard).
If getting a famous name attached to you is the goal, go take a summer course at Harvard. It is a lot less expensive than doing a term or two at Oxford and gets you that famous name.
My daughter studied abroad in London (UCL) for a semester. Her college’s, Cornell, study abroad program was such that students paid for the hosting college’s tuition plus Cornell’s administrative fees. Because Cornell’s tuition’s was so much higher than UCL’s, her semester abroad was actually cheaper than if her school. She was able to use the money to do some traveling.
„More importantly a term or two at Oxford will not “guarantee…attention in every part of the world”. Adults know the difference between the ‘study abroad’ experience and the full experience (the same as they know the difference between an MBA from Harvard and an Exec Ed program from Harvard).“
Do they? In my experience they really really don’t. The name alone will guarantee the attention. I don’t claim that it does more than that, and adults who do actually know more will want to find out what it did for the OP, at which point, as I said, it’s up to the OP to show it.
Can’t speak to the Harvard program since I know nothing about it, but visiting students at Oxford work every bit as hard as the regular undergraduates do while they are there - that is one of the special things about Oxford that is is, for the limited time frame it is happening, the full experience, not a glorified travel program.
Unless it isn’t, of course, and I misunderstood the kind of program the OP is being offered.
I confirm that people in other countries wouldn’t know the difference. They only know the name. This is especially true in Asia, where the name of the university has the greatest importance.
OP, would you be enrolled in an Oxford college, OR “in Oxford” the town taking SUNY classes but not enrolled at the actual university?
Hey guys, I do have a job on campus that I work at right now for 20 hours a week, so I am doing my best to cover for whatever expenses I can.
As for going to Oxford, my program duration says that it goes from January to May, so I believe that would be two terms.
For my parents, it is mostly going to be loans that will cover my education if I am to go to Oxford. Also, I know for a fact that it is going to cost me a little over double the amount I pay here at my SUNY school.
And lastly, yes, I am going to Oxford College itself and not just the town to take other classes.
I really appreciate all the feedback guys! Please keep the knowledge flowing!
Oxford 101: There is an Oxford College in Canada, and an Oxford College associated with Emory University in Georgia, but the English institution is Oxford University, which is made up of 38 Colleges + 5 “Permanent Private Halls” (in practice, mini Colleges). Your College is where you live and have most (but not necessarily all) of your lectures and tutorials. The colleges you are most likely to be in are St. Catherine’s College (aka Catz), St Edmund’s Hall (aka Teddy Hall), or St Anne’s College (aka Anne’s) as they take a lot of American study abroad students, and will take them for 1-2 terms (most of the colleges who take ‘visiting students’ require you to be there for a year) - but your program head will know which college you will be in.
New College, counterintuitively one of theo oldest colleges in Oxford and a beautiful beautiful place (with the usual modern eyesore residential building thrown in) but the College gardens and the chapel, the music…yes, the experience might be worth a little bit of debt.
Thank you all for the feedback and comments! I have finally made a decision to go for the experience, and not just to add a bullet to my resume! I am looking forward to having a wonderful time breathing all of Oxford’s history and beauty in.
Now fingers crossed about my Visa application, which is the last step in my application process before I can purchase my flight tickets.
