Thumbs Up Accès, Strasbourg! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

classes weren't the most exhilarating part of the experience and hours for schedule weren't ideal; despite this I still felt I advanced in my French by the end of the semester.

On-site administration of your program

Directors took really good care of us, answered all our questions and concerns in a positive manner. Very pleased with the administration of our program!

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Felt really at home and was given my space and liberty. Interactions with host family gave me many valuable life lesson; very warm and welcoming family.

I come from a big city, LA; so to be honest I am used to more variety. Also meals are to pricey in France, in my opinion. I did however, try some very original plates and enjoyed French cuisine: sauces/bread/wine/meats which are not found everywhere, so this was unique.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I was happy to try many things while here. Swimming at the local pools, trying various restaurants,visiting churches. I was able to chat with various store owners which go to let me know them better. This is not common back at home (in the States), so I appreciated this. Also, for the most part people in service were very helpful and kind. I struggled with the "horaires" or opening/closing hours here in France; until the end. I felt I could not integrate to timing everything precisely, especially for lunches. I ran into closed shops way to often, which is disappointing.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

From my friends experience I heard it was good and people are helpful; I had no first hand experience.

So safe! Coming back from late trips from other cities I never felt in any danger walking home or biking late a night. A tip for ladies, do not give "dragueurs" your attention, if men start calling out to you and you don't know them, you have no reason to stop for them. So watch out for that, since this type of flirting can feel very intrusive.

From the beginning I felt very well taken care of by the administration. Everything was made clear and I did not have to stress or worry to much about administrative stuff. My needs were met in terms of classes I wished to take and I am satisifed with experiences I gained. The best part of the learning happened in real life, out in society. I was a bit disappointed by the courses offered at the university; it was not what I expected but that is not to say that I didn't learn. Now that it is the end, I am finished with examinations and I am reflecting on how much the program took my experience outside of the classroom; I learned so much from this!

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

a full good meal is around 20 euro; quite expensive. So one has to budget and food expenses and look around for the best options, university restaurants help in this respect.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

Both written and oral :)

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• Host Family

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• Local Students
• Americans
• Host Family

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

• well-organized administration
• great cuisine tasting experiences
• interesting excursions

• planning perhaps of an event to facilitate meeting with locals
• ways to connect program members
• choices for credits (course option/internship/volunteer work)

The Nearly Native or Trail Blazer