Paris: Three years ago and I still can't believe it! Past Review
By Erica T (Art History, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania) for
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Paris, France
If I could do it all over again would you choose the same program? The living room of my current apartment is covered in Paris--Eiffel tower statues, photos, posters. People have walked in and asked if I was French. Yeah, I'd do it again. Definitely. I grew up so much after going abroad. I had never truly been away from home and living on my own before. I came back with so much more knowledge and maturity. I felt like I could really go anywhere and do anything. It was like I finally left the nest. I think I learned more just by living than I ever did in the classes. It was 24/7 learning the whole time. I would go back to Paris and live there in a heartbeat. The art was fantastic and the overall feeling of the city was incredible. I felt like I truly belonged there. Being able to actual see what I had read about and put the knowledge to use while learning so much, was just incredible. It was the best experience of my college life and I'll never forget it. I regularly search for jobs and apartments abroad in the hope that when I get out of graduate school I'll be able to go back. I am still friends with some of my study abroad buddies. One is like my best friend. I haven't seen her since Paris, but I still talk to her once a week. If you want to see my experience, I did a photo blog while I was there. www.photoblog.com/tcmjunkie87
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The classes and workload were reasonable. I had the option to take two classes on the CEA campus and then 10 credits at the Sorbonne. The CEA classes were easy, but I learned so much from walking around and visiting the sites. The Sorbonne was intimidating at first and the fact that our teacher only spoke in French was frustrating at first. However, I learned so much about the language and bonded with other Americans through the experience. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
All of the staff was very helpful. I could just send them an email whenever I needed something or ask them in person when I was in for class. They were easy to talk to and made my arrival a much easier transition. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
It was basically apartments for the American students. Although I loved living there and I met my best friends there, it was small (what you'd expect living in Paris) and did not really encourage language use. The location was excellent though! |
| * Food: |
The cheapest way to eat is by getting food from the grocery store. Besides that, I fell in love with the kebab or grec sandwiches. Yum! I mean it's Paris! Crepes, bread, cheese. Food there is AMAZING. Vegetarians and vegans may have a problem. A lot of my friends there had issues finding food that didn't have meat and it was even worse finding something without cheese. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I was there during the rugby world cup. It was fantastic! Everyone was so excited and energized. I liked Nuit Blanche during October where they had museums open late and art exhibits in the streets. All the field trips were fantastic. I saw Mont Saint Michel, Loire Valley, and Belgium. I actually didn't really want to go to Belgium at first, but I was pleasantly surprised. Everything was taken care of and stress free! I learned so much! |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
I was surprised to find that the inner city of Paris was safer than the suburbs. I was never afraid of walking alone at night through Paris, though I almost always went with a friend. I was never robbed. As long as you're diligent and watch where you're going, you don't have to worry. I didn't use the healthcare while there, so I can't speak to that. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
|
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) |
|
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
When I was in Paris, I rarely used my French. I would make the attempt and often the French vendors would identify themselves as English speakers too. When I went to Strasbourg, I actually used my French. I think the phonetics classes were the most helpful. After, I felt like I could pronounce any word just by knowing what sounds make together. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
|
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | If you are normal sizes, pack light. There are plenty of things to buy to wear in Paris--even affordable stuff. If you wear larger sizes in clothing or shoes, packing more clothes and shoes is not a bad idea. The culture shock going there wasn't bad, but coming home was awful. Be prepared. Many people don't want to hear about your amazing time in Paris because they're jealous and you'll have changed so much that some people just don't seem to fit anymore. Keep in contact with some of your study abroad buddies--they are experiencing the same thing. |
