Had fun but wasn't culturally or linguistically enriching Past Review
By Kevin J (French/Geography; Tourism, Brigham Young University) - abroad from 06/04/2013 to 07/27/2013 with
Brigham Young University: France International Internships
I don't feel like I gained anything that I couldn't have gained getting a minimum-wage paying summer job.
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. |
I was set up with an American company, so my french was not worked at all and I didn't learn new vocabulary. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The on-site person for our internship wasn't always honest, and sought her personal gain more than our interests in wanting the program to succeed. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The apt was very nice and relatively close to my work, but the family was very stand-offish and fought late into the night frequently. |
| * Food: |
really expensive to provide for myself with an unpaid internship. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Only friends I made were Americans and Australians from my English speaking work. My schedule was weird so I didn't have time to meet french people and my host family didn't talk to me. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had no experiences with it. |
| * Safety: |
My host family lived in a very nice, safe, clean area. |
| 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) |
Since I wasn't making money over there I had to be very careful with my money. I missed out on a lot of opportunities to experience the sites and things because I was worried about feeding myself. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 50 euros |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Look for the discounted foods, eat a lot of couscous and pasta. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 361 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 0 |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Get in with a french company |
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?
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| 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? |
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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? | Being an intern is basically being free labor. No special training/learning/wisdom sharing. |
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 Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
