Paris and the life I wasn't expecting but wound up LOVING. Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

As far as rigor goes, I'd give this program a low score, but I gotta say, when you're living abroad it's really not so bad to not have to be devoting a lot of time to classes and homework. I enjoyed the time I wasn't having to spend on coursework.

On-site administration of your program

Jane is AMAZING. Danica and Claire are also great... they do really care about us and feel free to go to them if you need to.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Living with a host family is really a risky thing. I say that because it can make or break your stay, and the difference in families and homes are vast. Some of the others in the program has separate entrances, had less access to a kitchen, had pets, and could have friends over. I was not allowed to have friends over. This ended up being REALLY annoying because Paris is expensive and this spring was COLD. Those nights when I just wanted to have a friend over and cook dinner, we couldn't. I was very lucky because I ended up having a host sister who was amazing and host parents that went away a lot. She'd let me see my friends and would sometimes have her friends over and invite us to hang out with them. My best friend in the program had the opposite with his host family and it made him pretty miserable. My house was also AMAZING. I will probably never live in such an amazing place every again in my life, so overal, I was satisfied with my situation, but I must say that I feel lucky and it you're nervous about a home stay, I would recommend looking into own-living. For me, I did not really have the money for that, but if you do it is an option you should consider. (And invite friends over if you get your own place! We'll come and we'll appreciate it. :D)

Food in Paris can be done cheaply. I got the meal plan and I'm SO SO SO happy I did. It lasted until the end and I was even able to get some nicer dinners by using a few at a time because I was able to each cheaply for lunches and such. Almost everywhere takes the tokens, by the way. It's great for people who suck at budgeting like me. :)

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Americans speak mostly to Americans. It's just what happens. We did occasionally go out with French people, but it was always kind of a big deal when that happened. Haha Of course, the better your French is, the easier time you'll have with that. But even still, it's rough. Don't beat yourself up for this though, because what I can say is that you get the expat vibe with other Americans and even alliance with other foreigners. The French (especially Parisians) can sure be exclusive, so use that to your advantage and get to know people from all over the world!

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I had no health issues but my phone did get stolen. I went to Jane with AIFS and she helped me file a policy report the next day so I could get an insurance claim. Woo Jane!

I always felt safe. Except once. When someone who casually started talking to me on the metro late at night ended up getting off the metro with me and staying with me while I walked home even when I told him not to. He pushed me up against my door and tried to get in my lobby with me at which point I ran out and called my friend and waited until he went away. LADIES, it can seem tempting to be social when you're trying to make friends in the city, but French guys can be creeps! Trust your instincts and stand up for yourself. I probably should have slapped this guy before it got anywhere near where it went. Be smart!

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

You definitely can live on a budget, but that's preparing to sacrifice. There was a way I imagined my life in Paris would be, and then there was my reality. My reality did not involve a lot of bistro dinner and cafe sit-downs, but it did involved exploring all over the city, cheap bottles of wine and good company on the bank of the Seine, sneaking into parks late at night, picnics all the time, and an occasional free concert, and lots of museums! I'd say give yourself a chance to try budget Paris living, but definitely plan to have a decent amount of money availible for use for this trip. You're going to want to travel, you're going to want to buy things, you're going to want to have a few of those fantastic typical Parisian nights- so make sure to have the money to do those things! But I was super fond of my student life in Paris and I implore you to let yourself have those nights too.

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

Only in class. Most home stays encourage language usage, but mine did not really, which I was fine with.

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• Host Family

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• Americans
• Host Family

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• Americans
• International Students

• 2 weeks in Cannes and London Weekend
• AIFS activities!
• Getting to meet some seriously amazing people.

• Housing options

The Outright Urbanite