"Je Ne Regrette Rien!" Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The grading system in France is very different, as there are no As, Bs, etc. Instead, there is a 1-20 scale, 20 being the highest (and rarest) score possible. The average score is a 16. There were no multiple choice exams; instead, a series of questions is given which one uses to write an essay. In regular courses (non-language), there are few opportunities to raise one's grade. I took a French class, an artistic ideas seminar, and an architecture seminar. In the first seminar, the only assignments were to make a presentation and take the final exam. In the architecture course, the two grades consisted of a research paper and a final exam. Therefore it was highly necessary to do well on both. Basically, the French education system is focused more on how a person can write and what he/she knows, not on how well a person can guess on a multiple choice exam. Language exams are also taken very seriously, as my final exam was three hours long. It included writing, oral/reading comprehension, and grammar. All the teachers I had were exceptional. I had only taken French for a year before I arrived in France, but I advanced tremendously by the end of the semester. This was due to the fact that my French teacher only spoke in French, unlike the French teachers I've had in America, who spend more than half the class speaking in English.

On-site administration of your program

In Paris there are three wonderful ladies working for AIFS. One coordinates housing, another takes care of school-related issues such as sending transcripts, and the last plans amazing cultural events. I found them all very helpful and easy to talk to, although I know not everyone else in my program would say the same thing. It just depended on whether you had a problem or not. For example, I know some of the people in my group were having problems with their host families, but nothing was done to fix the problem. Since I had an amazing host lady, I was never affected by that. All three ladies were from different countries, so it was interesting to hear about the different cultures. I thought they were very educated and did a good job overall.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I had the best host lady ever. Before going to Paris, my program had a two week orientation in Cannes. There we filled out surveys and chose roommates, then talked to the housing coordinator, who selected a host family for us based on what we wanted. My lady lived right near the Eiffel Tower. She was the most amazing cook ever, and treated my roommate and I like we were part of her family. She even brought us several times to the art gallery of her son when he was having a party to celebrate the opening of a new exhibition. She also took us to Midnight in Paris with her. She was so easy to talk to and provided us with everything we needed to live comfortably. There were no restrictions when it came to using the kitchen, and she let us wash clothes once a week. She has been hosting students for over 30 years and has had over 200 girls stay with her. She is 86 years old and has so much energy and the most wonderful laugh. Most of her girls try to go back and visit her after their stay is over- I know that I will too! But just to clarify, not everyone in my program was as lucky with their host family- they were treated more as tenants.

French food is absolutely wonderful, but very heavy! I thought I would lose weight during my stay in Europe, but in fact I just evened out because of all the walking from place to place. I miss the cheese, baguettes, crepes, and quiche so badly! My host lady was also the most fabulous cook. I ate with her once a week and it was always a four course meal that included an entree, plat, cheese, dessert, and of course, wine!

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The cultural coordinator of the Paris program is fantastic. We went to Reims, Chartres, several museums, a fondue restaurant, wine and cheese tastings, and so much more. All the events were so much fun and interesting.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I was sick at the very beginning of the program. All I had to do was go to the doctor that was appointed for us, pay 30 euros (the cost can vary), and he gave me a sheet to give to one of the administrators of the program in order to be reimbursed upon my return. The pharmacist also gave me a similar sheet to be reimbursed for the cost of the medicine I had to buy. When it comes to safety, be sure to not be in any dark places alone at night (of course) and do not look anyone in the eye on the metro, etc. because I found that that was a conversation starter with people who were often very freaky.

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

I made a great friend in my program while studying abroad, and fortunately, she cared just as much as I did about learning French and practicing it. Everyone else in my program was just there to travel, and they did not take any of the classes seriously. They only spoke English to each other which made Americans look lazy to the international students in the French classes. I used French every single day while there, and several times a week I would sit with my host lady and talk to her for a few hours. By the end of the program, she noted that my French speaking skills had drastically improved, which made me very happy!

Select all that apply

• Host Family

Select all that apply

• Americans
• International Students
• Host Family