A once in a lifetime experience with so much learning. Past Review

By Anastasia J (Illinois State University) - abroad from 02/01/2012 to 06/02/2012 with

Centre International d'Etudes Francaises (CIDEF): Angers - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

I learned more about myself as a person. About what I am willing to do and try. And I learned so much about the French culture and language that I feel doesn't or can't exist in a classroom. It was definitely worthwhile.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	Depending on what level you get placed into, the academic rigor varies. Even with that, some courses seem to be too easy for their supposed level. And certain classes even felt like they were set up to only cater to the Asian foreign students because of the cognates to the English language. However, the program has many resources that are available to all students that I recommend that everyone should take advantage of.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	Administrators were easy to get ahold of and were helpful if you came to them with questions.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	I had a very good experience with my house family. They were very welcoming and I felt like I was a part of their family.
* Food:	All I have to say is "Yummmmmm." My expectations for food has been set quite high after living in France.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	Every where I went I was surrounded by culture. You really need to go out of your house and just make an effort to meet people and experience the town you live in.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	I was required to pay 203 euros for this health care program. I did in February. Never got my card. Never got any more information on it. Then a week before the program ended, I received a letter saying that they needed my birth certificate and then they would send me my healthcare card. At the point, it was way too late to even care. So I feel as though I wasted my money on something I never actually could benefit from.
* Safety:	The school and my home were located in safe neighborhoods and I always surrounded myself with people who would have my back when needed.
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)	I was lucky enough to do well with my budget. There just become a point towards the end where everyone started to freak out over money.
* Was housing included in your program cost?	Yes
* Was food included in your program cost?	No
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	Around 50 euros
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Plan a budget!!! Seriously, it makes things so much easier. And have a separate budget on expenses for traveling (usually more than expected).

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language? 0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program?	Intermediate
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program?	Advanced
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure?	209 French Phonetics
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?	Spend as much time as you can talking with your host family. And make sure to go out and meet native French speakers. And don't freak out if your French isn't perfect.

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

* Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university?	Exchange

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Host Family
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	International Students Host Family
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Americans International Students
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?	The people that I met. The day trips that the program pre-planed for the students to go on. Location!
* What could be improved?	More classes offered that dealt with practicing speaking skills. Having more options for the different levels (some of the classes were only offered to higher levels and that didn't seem fair to other kids who needed those classes in order to graduate). The use of tutorat (it is a time when the teacher is supposed to speak with students or students go to the teachers for help but it seemed at times to be a waste).
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	I know more about the details of the classes and which ones are really beneficial to learning. And I didn't really know what to expect on how much money I would need for traveling (the budget proposed was not nearly enough). Also, you have an idea or picture on how everything will go. Sometimes it was difficult but because I was open to trying I learned so much about the culture that I never knew before.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Étude-socio culturelle
Course Department:
Instructor:	Christophe Langois
Instruction Language:	French
Comments:	Worse class that I have ever taken. Material was confusing to comprehend and the professor didn't really offer much help when you visited him to ask for help. I really questioned whether I was the only one who didn't like this course, but when I talked to many of the different students, they had the same sort of feelings. While I did pretty well on the tests, I felt like I was teaching myself the material.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Historie de l'Art
Course Department:
Instructor:	Rose Lecompte
Instruction Language:	French
Comments:	The class was taught very efficiently. She was very clear in her explanations of the paintings and her examples helped to clarify any misunderstandings. The class was always entertaining and participation was done by all. Even the days when I was in the class for two hours, the time seemed to go by quickly.
Credit Transfer Issues: