AIFS in Paris at the Sorbonne was awesome. Past Review
By Mallory H (Urban Studies/Affairs., The University of Texas at Austin) for
AIFS: Paris - Cours de Civilisation Française de la Sorbonne
I learned a lot about myself, it was definitely worthwhile.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I still don't understand French grading--its on a scale of 1-20. French professors are much more harsh and frank than American professors. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Strengths: extracirricular activities planned beautifully--diverse experiences and very fun environment. Host family situation couldn't have been better. Weaknesses: connection with french immigration system was not clear, visas were hard to get and residential permit was not explained thoroughly. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Host family was welcoming and awesome. Neighborhood beautiful, right by eiffel tower. |
| * Food: |
Vins et Terroirs dinner was my favorite. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I loved the trip to Giverny to see Monet's house and the trip to Versailles. I didn't know all that awesome stuff would be included! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I got sick with a sinus infection and went to the doctor. I am supposed to be reimbursed for that money but I have not been yet, but the doctor was great, he even spoke english. Paris is not as safe as Austin but I didn't have any bad experiences. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | i didn't realize how expensive paris is in general, but the program was great. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | credit for 4 semesters of french |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I practiced with my host family. Many people in Paris speak english but they prefer french. |
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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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? | Lots of things are included in this program--its a good price. Be very picky about your housing, be clear about what you want. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Cours Pratique |
| Course Department: | don't know |
| Instructor: | don't know |
| Instruction Language: | French |
| Comments: | It was very intensive french language instruction, the course met every single day. I learned a lot and could speak french well at the end. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | I still haven't done the credit part yet. |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Paris, Its Architecture and History |
| Course Department: | don't know |
| Instructor: | Monsieur Greaves |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Very interesting architecture class--like a walking tour of Paris. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | None. |
