Paris - c'est la vie! Past Review
By Genevieve A (Chemistry and French, Mount Holyoke College) for
API (Academic Programs International): Paris - Universite Paris Diderot
It was something I had dreamed of my whole time at MHC. I have become a little more sophisticated in my dressing, food etiquette and cuisine. Improving my french language is very imperative to my future goal of working with medecins sans frontieres.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload for the french linguistics was too much, however we had a peer mentor who was very helpful. The teaching style is very different in that there is very little room for discussion and not much time to ask questions after class. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Melissa and Anne Marie are the best coordinators ever. They were always there when I needed, even after office hours. They also helped during the times when I really missed my family. They went with us to register for our classes and are always sending reminders. They are the best. Melissa gave me the best hug ever on my first day in Paris |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I chose host family as my top choice during the application process. My host mother was so supportive and kind so I didn't have to buy a lot of stuff (except for weekly groceries). I was allowed to be anywhere in the house however, I had to be mindly of the times I returned from outings (walking very quietly in order not to wake people up). |
| * Food: |
I gained healthy weight and was always tasting something new that my host mother cooked for me. PLus I learned a lot of french cuisine :) |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I enjoyed the trips to the museums, chateaux and the beach. API had the best services than other programs. I did recommend it to another MHC student who enrolled just before I left. :) |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Late nights were not as scary as I thought, especially when you are in a group. However, one time I was stuck at a bus stop for so long and saw a drunk man displaying right next to me. That was sacry since we were adviced to never interact with such people during late nights. Fortunately, there were cops patroling and came to the scene right away. |
| 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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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
I stayed with a wonderful host family and that helped my french proficiency a lot. I recommend this kind of stay abroad since it is the easiest and fasters way to improve your language |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Be very open minded when you go to another coutnry - respect their culture and traditions and keep most of your criticisms to yourself. Students who are willing to learn and embrace another culture easily will benefit a lot from this program. |
