Past Review
By Cara B (Marketing., University of Maryland - College Park) for
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: French Alps, France
My studey abroad experiences was definitely worthwhile. As a result of studying abroad, I feel I am a more independent, inquisitive, worldly person with a greater understanding of the global world that we live in. I would recommend for every student to be able to have this experience.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
| The term and year this program took place: | Spring 2009 |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The academics at the university I attended, CERAM (now known as SKEMA) Business School, were not very intensive. Classes are conducted in English because it is a business school and the universal language of business is English. For this reason, the classes were inherently easier for students who are native English speakers. The academic culture was also very different at CERAM than at my home institution in that students and teachers at CERAM seem more less serious and more relaxed in the school environment. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
We had a great program administrator who was so friendly and always helpful. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Looking back, I would have preferred NOT living with Americans. I wish there was a host family option to the program. However, overall, my apartment was very comfortable and in a great location |
| * Food: |
Food was readily available. Restaurants and grocery stores on every corner. I ate in most of the time because eating out in Antibes is very expensive. The charming restaurants in the old town are wonderful! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
CERAM is an international school. In my classes, I was surrounded by students from literally all over the world. In my French class for instance, there were students from Latvia, Korea, Canada, and Saudi Arabia. The French students at the school were for the most part open to meeting and integrating with American students. We were often invited to hang out with French students outside of school, which was always very exciting. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I felt very very safe in Antibes. There were some homeless people in the area, but I never felt uncomfortable. When I got sick, I easily found a great doctor and a pharmacy right around the corner. |
| 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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Language
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I only took one French course, once a week for three hours. It helped me to brush up on grammar skills, but overall, my improvement in French was a result of just being in France and interacting with locals. |
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 do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Looking back, I would have done an exchange program rather than CEA. I loved Antibes and I was moderately happy with CERAM Business School. However, I wished I had lived with a host family. Also, the CEA excursions was unimpressive. For many of them, I could have bought my own train ticket for a lot cheaper. |
