Challenging, Expensive, but Almost Worth It Past Review
By Kristen D (history and literature, Harvard University) for
Bryn Mawr: Avignon - Institut d'études Françaises d'Avignon
Yes and No
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
French education is much more rigid than American. It is difficult to participate, and also quite polemical and not necessarily favorable or open to new views of Americans. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Program was good size. Accommodation was terrible as was integration into host country. Classes had challenging work load, aural French improved. Oral french, not as much as expected. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Needed a lot to make it comfortable, at best was tolerable. |
| * Food: |
Very expensive. eat lunch out. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Great weekend trips. Necessary to get through. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
Avignon is rather seedy compared to other cities in Provence. It also gets very crowded during the festival. Traveling is a great option on weekends. I would recommend Paris over the south. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
|
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) |
|
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Much more than expected to live well. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Food is incredibly expensive and difficult to make on your own. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Mid-level |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
|
| Language acquisition improvement? |
Yes and No |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | independent, take initiative, travel as much as possible. a love of theater is also great. |
