Paris Internship Program: Too much focus on initial schooling, needs more focus on actual internship Past Review
By Danijela B (Psychology/Humanities, Valparaiso University) for
Boston University: Paris - Internship Program
It was worth it for the internship part of the program. The staff could have handled different issues that many students had in a bit more of a compassionate manner, and if there was less of a focus on schoolwork and assignments while working full-time at the internship, I feel I could have profited more from experiencing daily life in Paris.
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. |
The grading was based on a French philosophy. Therefore, it was difficult to obtain an 'A' in classes. The workload was fairly intensive. The professors were of good caliber, and I was pleased with my internship |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
My expectations were mostly met. I did not have the time to explore Paris and have as many interactions with the French as I would have liked due to meetings, classes, etc. The level of support was average but in some ways not as understanding as I would have hoped, as I had an issue with obtaining medication and the death of a relative while overseas. The program was not as supportive as I would have hoped with regards to these issues and issues some other students that I spoke with had encountered. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I was not encouraged to utilize other parts of the apartment other than my bedroom. The laundry room was situated in our bathroom and the host mother was constantly doing laundry, which meant that she was nearly always in our little area. There were no locks on my door, the other student's door, or the bathroom. I was made to feel 'in the way' for using the kitchen or needing to borrow their laptop a few times (perhaps 3 times) after mine broke while in France. We were not encouraged/allowed to watch tv. We were not encouraged to engage with the family. We were expected to share a fridge in one of our rooms (my room) which was unacceptable. The other student and I were not on the same schedule and we each wished for our privacy to be respected. The host family grudgingly allowed the other student to use their fridge. They also grudgingly bought a space heater for my bedroom after many requests as there was no heat in my room. I cleaned the kitchen for my host mother, cleaned the bathroom, had a same-sex guest over once, with their permission, and rarely came home late or went out on the weekends. I came home later at night perhaps 2-3 times the entire program, and was very polite, yet still did not feel very welcome. |
| * Food: |
For the once a week meal with the host family, there was no consistent 'dinner day.' The dinner days were whenever it was convenient for the host family. They did not serve a particularly large quantity of food and the dinners were often essentially the same food every week. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I appreciated the wine tasting, the trip to Reims, the boat trip on the Seine, and the encouragement to visit museums and sites. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Healthcare is expensive. It is difficult to obtain some prescription drugs available in the US. The city was fairly safe. The only thing I disliked was the large amount of men who congregated on the streets every night, many of them quite inebriated, which made me uncomfortable walking by myself late at night. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | It really varied from week to week depending on what I bought, if I went out to eat, if I went shopping, or if I had to buy my pass Navigo. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | None. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
I signed a contract to speak only French. I spoke French with my host family, professors, laboratory staff, and in daily interactions. |
| 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?
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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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? | Any student should take advantage of this opportunity. |
