Paris: An amazing and rewarding cultural experience Past Review

By Katherine O (Management, Shippensburg University) for

API (Academic Programs International): Paris- Cours De Civilisation Francaise De La Sorbonne

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

My study abroad was DEFINITELY worthwhile! I would love to go back for a much longer time! It really opened my eyes to the global connections we form and how small the world is becoming.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	The classes were fantastic, I feel that I really learned the material. It was taught very well and the requirements for classes were made clear.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	The program directors were amazing! They were helpful and always there for us when we needed them, yet they pushed us to explore our limits.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	The neighborhood was in a very nice area of Paris, and my host family was wonderful! They cooked dinner for me, and talking with them really improved my language skills.
* Food:
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	The extracurricular trips were amazing! We went to the south of France, got to see the Mediterranean Sea, and experience different parts of France that I never would have heard of otherwise.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes

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)

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	Yes
Language acquisition improvement?	While most people in France did speak some degree of English, it was much more interesting to try to use French in daily life. I needed to use French with my host family and in classes, but it was an amazing experience to break me out of my comfort zone.
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?