Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Magical month indulging in the moveable feast Past Review

By (Creative Writing, Cedar Crest College) - abroad from 07/01/2014 to 07/25/2014 with

American University of Paris: Summer Programs

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned too much to summarize here. So, yes, worthwhile.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I was studying creative writing, so the academic aspect of the study was limited to leave time for reviewing student work.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

AUP did not provide food. But it was Paris!

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I lived a distance from the campus and bicycled to and from. I felt as much a part of the local community as one can when visiting a metropolis for a month. AUP did not have much of a hand in facilitating this aspect of my stay.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Not applicable to me so I am rating it high because I assume if I had an issue the very competent people at AUP would have helped me deal with it.

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

But the course I chose was an undergraduate course geared toward younger people. I would choose a course intended for and attended by at least some people closer to my age. For example, the Nonfiction course taught by Jeffrey Greene.

Finances

* 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)

If you're on a very limited budget, don't go to Paris.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? I don't recall, but I'd guess $250-400 a week
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Use the public bicycle system. After a small sign up charge, the bike is free for the first 30 minutes and you can ride almost anywhere within the city in 30 minutes.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

* Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? Direct Enrollment

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • N/A
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • Paris
  • The intimacy of the group
  • Living well off campus and having make my way around
* What could be improved?
  • Clarity of academic expectations
  • Availability of instructor outside class
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? The academic expectations of a 3-week course of study. Many students and instructors see this as a working vacation, which it is. But what that means is despite the cost of tuition, academic rigor is sacrificed.

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 Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Writing Fiction
Course Department: English
Instructor: Darcey Steinke
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The course was ambitious in that it included reading assignments ranging from Chekhov to Lydia Davis as well as writing both in and between classes. Classwork was inspired by trips to museums, wine country and live readings both on campus and at Shakespeare & Co. The class size was a bit larger than is ideal given how much reading we did of student work, but Ms. Steinke managed it well. My main criticism is Ms. Steinke's lack of office hours outside of class; she was generally unavailable to meet with students 1 to 1, which no doubt was in part due to it being a 3-week course in Paris and her desire to enjoy her time there as much as we all did.
Credit Transfer Issues: Not applicable to me