Summer Study Abroad in Oxford, England

Studying at Oxford was a dream come true. To live and study like a university student enabled me to gain a a valuable insight into what attending a prestigious university would be like.
During my time a t Oxford, I studied Contemporary History, Journalism and Public Speaking and Debate. All of my teachers were very passionate about their subject and had bountiful knowledge to share. I had never studied any of the subjects before but after attending the programme, I feel significantly more knowledgeable and I am inspired to continue learning. The history course was particularly useful as it gave an introduction into the A level course, which I am starting in September.
Although I was the sole student of British nationality, I was still able to develop culturally, from learning about the different lives my international friends live. Activities such as punting and ghost tours enabled my friends and I to create strong friendships very quickly. We were also taken to London for the afternoon, which was a very enjoyable experience, as we saw a West End show and explored the touristic sights. Although we had a heavy workload and intense classes, whenever we did have free time there were always multiples activities to sign up for. There truly was always an activity for every individual!
In terms of location and accommodation, I have nothing to fault. Queen's College is situated right on Oxford high street, so we never had to walk far to find a place to eat lunch. In fact, we were able to eat in a different a cafe nearly everyday! Also, the girls' accommodation was exceptional; the rooms were cleaned daily and every room had its own bathroom.
Overall, I am so thankful to have been awarded a scholarship to Oxford Royale Academy, as my experience was truly unforgettable.

I spent two weeks this summer at the Queen's College in Oxford enrolled in ORA's Broadening Horizons program. Under this program I took classes in Philosophy and Contemporary History and attended the Global Issues Seminar. The two weeks I spent at Queen's were a whirlwind of exciting activities, intense learning and unforgettable experiences.
Diving head first into a subject I had never studied before (Philosophy) and a subject very close to my heart (Contemporary History) - I genuinely did not know what to expect in terms of my academics. However, my professors were personally some of the best I've had as they were highly educated in their respective fields (both of them reading for their doctorates in their fields of study) and they were committed to making the learning opportunities immersive and enjoyable.
The campus was breathtaking and there were always activities one could sign up for - it ultimately boiled down to there not being enough free time to enjoy all the activities while balancing the rigorous demands of our study courses!
Perhaps the best thing about studying with Oxford Royale Academy is that we as students get to integrate with students from all corners of the world. Being from Sri Lanka myself, this was the opportunity of a lifetime to see how I would manage 9000 kilometers away from home and anyone who looked like me. But the hospitality and friendliness exhibited by both the ORA staff and students assured me that I could indeed manage on my own, as I never for a single moment felt homesick or missed home over the course of the two weeks.
Studying with ORA at one of their summer schools is an opportunity I wish every willing person could experience because it is one I would love to relive and thus, I highly recommend it to everyone looking for something to full up their summer with.

I stayed at the Queen's College and I picked was Broadening Horizons. The courses I chose were philosophy, medical biology and global issues. When it was confirmed that I'd be able to attend the summer school, I hadn't expected to have as much fun as I did. I think the summer school had a good ratio of fun and studying. There were different activities everyday to keep us busy so we were never bored and the activities allowed us to socialize with people from our college as well as the other colleges. I was able to meet students from all parts of the world and learn about their countries and their experiences. The location of the summer school was also ideal as many touristic sites and restaurants were close-by, which allowed us to go to different places for lunch almost everyday.

Oxford Royale Academy is a great place to study in the summer. I took the Broadening Horizons program and studied at Queen's College -- the college is beautiful. You get the chance to take courses and participate in activities. This includes subjects such as Experimental Psycology and Contemporary History, and activities such as Ice Skating and Bouldering. There are many diverse peers for you to build friendships with and campus team members to guide you on your way and coordinate your activities and excursions. I will list 5 pros and 5 cons, but let me tell you that overall, the pros outweigh the cons.
PROS
1. Good food (they accommodate quite well to alternative diets such as vegan or gluten-free)
2. Nice accommodations
3. Ideal location (a mall, several libraries, several museums, and quality cafes/restaurants were just a short walk away)
4. Free time and activities (lots of time was given for exploring, completing assignments, and participating in optional activities)
5. Many students/good social life (at almost any time, you could head over to the junior common room to talk to a friend, compete in a game of foozball, or play a game of chess)
CONS
1. Assignments (For my courses, I had 4 total assignments to complete. Although this may seem light for two weeks, it does take quite a bit of time away from socializing)
2. Food (as previously mentioned, the food tasted good, but lunch and any snacks you might want throughout the day has to be purchased independently)
3. The price (the cost for this program is quite high, considering it to be only two weeks, which makes it hard for some to attend. Thankfully, a few scholarships are given to deserving students)
4. The Wifi (almost every time you want to use the wifi, you have to sign in again, which is tiresome to some students)
5. The water (the water available to student is tap water, which is fine to drink, but if you only drink purifies water, you are going to have to get that yourself)
6. Excursions (I thought that I would get to travel around more while I was there and see England landmarks, such as Stonehenge, but we only went to London once, and we had limited time)
• Hopefully my advice helps you in your decision making process. I highly enjoyed attending ORA, and I'm sure that you would too.

There are so many things to talk about my experience at ORA and specifically, at Balliol College. I have loved every single thing and all my counsellors has been of help to me by clearly and nicely engaging me into activities, laughing together and giving me instructions. I stayed at Balliol College from the 4th of August to the 17th of August to study engineering with Mr Johnny as my teacher. He gave most of the tools needed for me to be a great engineer later on. This includes making my robot in robotics class, teaching me in details about drag force, Bernouli's Principle and etc. The food was delicious and everything was nicely displayed and organized. Acknowledging that I received a scholarship to go to the ORA, it seemed freer and nicer for me to enjoy my time there. I would recommend 100% for anybody that goes to the ORA in the following years to have fun with everyone because every single person there is nice and lovely to meet as well as talk to. My time there was just magnificent and wonderful.

I was really surprised that I got the opportunity to go to ORA.I did the New Perspectives (Math, Chemistry & Physics and Public speaking) course in July -August 2018. It was a great experience that opened my horizons. Thanks to the Oxford Royal Academy for the scholarship.

I had never been to the United Kingdom before, so the whole trip from start to end was a challenge and testing experience especially because it was the first time I was away from home independently attending to myself. I felt it boosted my confidence as opened my eyes in so many ways.

When the friendly staff greeted me, I immediately felt I was home. I started noticing that I was not the only one far far away from home at the campus. When I saw students from various ethnic and cultural backgrounds hanging around there, awestruck by the monumental buildings with huge smiles on their faces, some over joyed, I was assured that I would be fine. In the Chapel, I realized that over the two weeks I would be befriending most of them and eventually became very close to some of them with whom I still keep contact even to date. The rooms – well totally different from what I was used to live in, were quite nice, and having a roommate added to the great experience I had in Oxford.

As I was in grade 8, having just turned 13, felt that I was a bit young for the course because I found some of the material a bit challenging especially in math since the syllabus was for grade 9ers. The only reason I got through with A Grade in math could only be attributed to the support I had from my friends and teachers.

The activities were amazing especially the scavenger hunt, punting and the trip to London were memorable. I think the only thing that got me down were the flu and the cold weather. The coldest it gets in Maldives, where I live is 24°C but the warmest in Oxford was 22°C.

I returned home to find that I had taken a leap in my ability to comprehend what was taught in class and felt that I was a step ahead of my friends at studies. The whole trip was an unforgettable experience and I would gladly love to do it again. Overall this was the best experience of my life and I would definitely recommend it for other students.

"It was so amazing" this is the only thing I would like to say about doing the introduction to medicine in Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford. I made so many great friends from all around the world, and we created unforgettable memories together. Furthermore, teachers in ORA is super nice, and they have teaching strategies or tips that can help us to understand it easily and memorize it. Going to ORA to study is the best experience in my life so far. Doing the medicine course, we learned many high-level knowledges, wrote a research paper, presentation, and did an animal dissection. Besides academes, afternoon activities were super fun, we had many choices of activities, like decorating the cake, sport, homework club, and college application skills. Also on weekend, we had a chance to hang out with friends, to go to Oxford city shopping and spending time chatting with our friends. I really enjoy the time studying in ORA, summer 2018 was the best summer with the best people and the best environment ever.

I did the 2018 Broadening Horizons Course through Oxford Royale Academy from 1st-14th July, and it was one of the best trips of my life! It was amazing to meet people from all across the world- from different cultures and backgrounds- and to share the experience with the numerous friends I made. The lessons were very interesting and the classroom environment was fun and relaxed. Activities such as punting and watching Mamma Mia in London made this trip unforgettable. Furthermore, the amazing ORA counsellors made this trip ten times as exciting, especially the counsellors at Queen's College. They really took care of us and made us feel right at home. By the end of the two weeks, we were all dreading going back home and wished that the trip could go on forever! I would recommend this trip to anyone who is considering applying- you will definitely not regret it.