Paris holds the key to my heart Past Review
By A student (Amherst College) - abroad from 01/04/2017 to 05/07/2017 with
Academic Programs Abroad (APA): Paris - Immersion for Intermediate & Advanced French Speakers
I learned a lot about how to deal with setbacks and how to move forward as well as how important it is for others to feel understood and validated during a social interaction.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in a "Chambre de Bonne" so I felt very independent but my laptop and speaker were stolen from there. |
| * Food: |
My host family made a lot of traditional French meals and they were delicious |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Nothing happened to me but i was a bit afraid that if something were to happen to me or my friends I wouldn't know what to do beside contacting my program directors. |
| * Safety: |
I was pickpocketed twice. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
The program directors were so supportive and expressed concern for us all the time. |
Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
It's hard to budget if you expect to travel outside of France because things come up sometimes. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Try to plan your trips outside of France BEFORE coming to Paris, prices jack up. DONT underestimate how much you'll spend on food. It's expensive |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
We were all American so we used English all the time. With very slight suggestions to speak in French. It wasn't enforced enough. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | a literature course |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Make French friends. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | How skilled pickpocketers are. You spend more on food than you think you will. The only way to improve in a language is to practice speaking it all the time. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
