CEA Paris is the place for you! Past Review
By Emily Durant (High Point University) - abroad from 01/20/2018 to 05/12/2018 with
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Paris, France
My abroad travels were certainly worthwhile. I feel as though after living abroad I have a new found confidence as well as a changed global outlook on the world.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I felt as though the intensity and rigor of the courses I took did not align with that of the program descriptions I had initially looked at when applying for this program. I actually found the courses to me more intense than anticipated accompanied with more homework, research papers, and presentations than I though. However, the resources provided were beneficial to my courses and the cultural engagement requirement for each class (where students are required to participate in an excursion that pertains to the course material) I found to heighten my comprehension of course content as well as my interest in the Parisian culture. Additionally CEA Paris has an impressive range of professors with real world experience within their disciplines. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administration here at CEA made every effort to acclimate their students. They did this through formal orientation programs and out of the classroom activities. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Living abroad can be a tricky situation however my living arrangements were very comfortable. In the event of a leaky pipe or power outage, the staff at CEA always responded immediately and helped my roommates and I to fix the situation. |
| * Food: |
Meal plan was not an option for this program. Paris however has an amazing range of things to eat so I never went hungry. Additionally, upon arrival, CEA staff coached us on where to shop for food, how to read labels, and inexpensive dining options that aligned with our student budgets. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
CEA staff made every effort to assist students in connecting with local culture. They did this through arranging housing among other french persons, arranging guest speakers, and arranging a variety of day trips and walking excursions within the city throughout the semester. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I never personally had to see a doctor or go to urgent care while abroad. However my roommates did, and CEA staff were accommodating, discreet, and took the time to follow up multiple times with the students. |
| * Safety: |
I never felt unsafe once while studying in Paris. My housing was in a quite neighborhood, people on the metro were civil, and because I was aware of my surroundings and tried my best to not stick out I was perfectly fine. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
If i had to do it over again I 100% would. I learned so many practical life lessons that I would have never learned in a traditional classroom. The only thing I would do differently would be to sign up for an entire year abroad! |
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) |
Though Paris is an expensive city to live in (like any major city) I found it manageable finance wise to eat, shop, and travel. |
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 |
Every professor and staff member encouraged me to use and practice my french while abroad. I definitely think my language skills have improved since going abroad. |
| 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? | One semester of college level french only |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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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? | The only thing I wish I knew before this program would be the level of difficulty of some classes. For me, I knew only a small amount of french before going abroad and the level of french that I took abroad was probably too hard for me (but I managed :) ). |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
