Grenooble for life! Past Review
By Katie O (VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS., Valley City State University) - abroad from 09/05/2012 to 12/21/2012 with
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: French Alps, France
I learned so much about myself, who I want to be, the lifestyle I want to live, and my place in this world. You have to lose yourself to find yourself sometimes and this is a great place to do it.
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. |
The classes are very self motivated. All of the courses are in French and you are never expected to speak English. The teachers are very patient and understanding and will go slowly with you when needed. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Part of the reason I had a great time was because our advisor in Grenoble was so great. He kept us in the loop about all the happenings and really did care about our safety and well being. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in the dorms, they weren't bad but they were very different from what I was used to. I had the opportunity to meet a wide variety of people from all over the world who were studying in France. |
| * Food: |
*DROOL* It's France sooo... the food was outstanding. Try everything you can and eat to your hearts content. Don't worry about the calories from it either, just eat. We all ate whatever we wanted without dieting and three of us actually lost weight. Great food is relatively cheap here as well. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Well, it's the French. It takes awhile to feel like a local but because they have one of the highest populations of international students and residents in France so they're very understanding of non-french students. Just be courteous and they will be too. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
No health care was needed but I heard it's great. |
| * Safety: |
I never once felt unsafe. My parents came to visit and they commented how they were amazed at how safe they felt especially compared to the rest of France. |
| 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) |
It's really easy to save money here. If you eat in most of the time and don't travel a lot you can spend very little. My advise though: go travel, eat out whenever you feel you can afford it, and indulge in some of the great French delicacies. You'll regret not spending your time worrying about money more than you will worrying about taking out an extra loan. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $50 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Bring essential clothing items so that you don't have to waste money on basic clothes. Most of the stores are extremely similar to the stores in Grenoble so it's not worth wasting money on clothes. |
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 |
You use it in class, around town, when buying anything. The idea that everyone speaks English does not hold true here. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | High School French |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | When you come home don't watch American television on your laptop, always have yourself immersed in French. It's so easy to loose all of the progress from one day in class if you go back to your dorm and drown it out with English. |
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? | That it's not as cold as you would think. But if you go for Spring semester bring your skiing gear!!! |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
