Better than I could have dreamed. Past Review
By Liz Margolis (Eastern University) - abroad from 01/07/2017 to 05/27/2017 with
Accès: Strasbourg - Accès Classique: Semester Study Abroad
I learned how to function as an individual and so much about French culture, Europe, and many different cultures across Europe and the world.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I did the Certificate of European Studies Program at Sciences-Po Strasbourg. I learned a lot, but I would not describe the program as rigorous. It was also very poorly organized compared to an American university (as is typical for France). |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
This review is regarding the administration at Sciences Po, which was horrible (NOT the administration at Acces, which was great). I never had information further in advance than a few days, which made it really difficult to plan travels. The Sciences-Po administrator was completely useless and not at all helpful, and it was really difficult for me to figure out what was going on and where I needed to be and when. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family was amazing and so wonderful, I could not have had a better experience. |
| * Food: |
It's France; the food was great. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt integrated with an international community of Erasmus/intl students in Strasbourg, but I only had a few French friends my age. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I only had to go to the pharmacy a few times, and if it was a Sunday my host parents helped me to find an open one. |
| * Safety: |
I always felt very safe in Strasbourg. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I absolutely loved the people at Acces and the friends I made at Sciences-Po. Other than Sciences-Po's complete lack of organization (NOT Acces', they were as well organized as was possible), my semester was truly perfect. Strasbourg is the most amazing city I have ever had the pleasure to call home and my absolute favourite place to get to know. |
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) |
I spent a lot more money than I planned at first, but after a few months I figured out how to live and travel on a really tight budget. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $40 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | When you travel, bring groceries. Buy alcohol at the supermarket instead of at bars. Set a budget for yourself each day or week and try to stick to it. Be careful when and how often you "treat yourself" and if you live with a host family, always eat with them, because it's free. Research travels a lot and in advance so it doesn't cost you too much money. |
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 |
I lived with a host family so I used French a lot, and my speaking got much better. With the program director, we would use French often, but spoke mostly in English. In my classes at Sciences-Po they were all in English, and so I spoke English with all of my friends as well. I would have had to work much harder if I wanted to use French all of the time, and I didn't really push myself as much as I could have. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | French202 |
| 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? | At the beginning, establish friendships where you speak in French, and push yourself to use it even though it will be hard and you will be tired. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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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? | I wish I had known to expect a complete lack of organization because then I would have been ready for it. Once I adjusted to never being informed about my class schedule beyond the next two weeks or upcoming events etc I was able to accept it and be less bothered by it. |
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 Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
