Paris Internship: You get what you put in Past Review
By Kate C (French Language and Literature., Trinity University) for
Boston University: Paris - Internship Program
I think that it would have been more worthwhile if it had not been so isolated. I feel that by having their own "university" Boston takes away from the experience of French classes and a more global outlook.
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. |
We had to write a paper for our internship in the French style and I found it very interesting to see the differences in mentality based solely on how they write their academic papers. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program is very well organized and the administration are nice and efficient. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The dorm was very nice but it was rundown and the beds were very uncomfortable. Also the place was dirty and the kitchens were in a very messy state. |
| * Food: |
The food in France is amazing! Try everything because even something you don't think that you'll like may turn out to be your favorite food. Make use of the grocery stores - food can be cheap (it is certainly cheaper there than in restaurants)and they have a great selection. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We went to Versailles and to the Louvre as part of the program. I thoroughly enjoyed them both. The only problem with the summer program is that because you are doing a class and an internship there is little time to acclimate to your new surroundings. Nor is there much time to get to do the things that you might want to do in France. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I have never felt safer than when I was in Paris. |
| 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? | Food was expensive but that is because I went out to eat almost all of the time due to friends trying to get together for dinner. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | N/A |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
It was very difficult to pick up on language skills when surrounded by Americans. Everyone just spoke in English because we were all at different levels of French. At my internship everyone spoke in English. I picked up on different things regarding the French accent, but I would not say that my grammar or vocabulary improved significantly. |
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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