Aix-en-Provence, France: Perfect Past Review
By Raphael F (Geography, French, Ohio Wesleyan University) for
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Aix-en-Provence, France
It was a life changing experience that I will never forget, and I hope I can go back soon! I met some amazing people and had a great, great time.
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. |
Overall, the workload was much less, however the class hours were much more. Some classes would last up to 4 hours long, but they were always fun and exciting. I really enjoyed all the teaching staff at my french university. They were very enthusiastic and eager to help us learn and excel in french. The grading system is also much harder. For example, everything is out of 20 points possible, and to receive a 12/20 on an assignment is equivalent to a B average in America. But the teachers are lenient, and if you show up to all your classes, you will pass. We were also highly encouraged to make french friends, and work on conversation techniques, which I thought really improved everyone the most in my class. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administration of our program was absolutely wonderful. They really took care of us. If we had any complaints or concerns, such as housing issues, class scheduling, they eagerly and quickly helped us out to the fullest degree. In addition, they took us on several weekend trips around Europe (Venice, Monaco, Barcelona) and would cover most of the financing. This included several stunning dinner soirees and numerous other things. My expectations were thoroughly exceeded. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Perfect housing situation: apartment in downtown aix-en-provence. Waking distance to everything, and longest walk was no more than 15 minutes tops. We did need to buy some housing items to settle in, such as: sheets, blankets, coat hangers, and cooking utensils. |
| * Food: |
quality of food is great! France has some of the best food in the world |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Awesome. Many bars and clubs to party at. Large social seen. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
No safety problems for me or anyone else in my program. |
| 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? |
There were 40 americans in my program so it was very possible for someone to slack off and only speak english. However, the program helps you find french friends which pushes you to truly speak and comprehend the language. In addition, all grocery shopping and activity outside of class was spoken in french. No need to be worried because many french citizens know english very well and would be eager to help you if you had any communication problems. |
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 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? | Aix has both the small village feel, mixed with the hustle and bustle of Paris. If you enjoy fashion, food, sunshine, night clubs, and beautiful people Aix is the place to be. It is also located only 30 minutes from the Mediterranean, and an hour and half from the Alps (by car). |
