Mixed Thoughts on Dijon Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I felt that CIEF was a language course but it was not a very well rounded one. There was little interaction with the actual french people and the buildings were like barracks, situated way outside. The schedules for each day was not very well balanced; there would be three hour classes in the mornings, which I found really difficult. Sometimes the classes were interesting and stimulating, but more often than not, they were boring and filled with copious copying of notes from the blackboard.

On-site administration of your program

I really disliked the size of Dijon and how disappointed I was with the activities the city offered. I was disillusioned with the France as a whole for a while, since I didn't expect to feel such an outsider as an international student, but the locals, as everyone told me, were aloof and reserved. The program did help with my french, but immersion was more helpful. I was not prepared with the fact that my host family was so independent and would leave us alone for long periods of time. The infamous french bureaucracy was rightly deemed a major pain in the ass.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My host family and I accepted each other. It was an uneasy relationship because I had a very particular host mother. It was hard adjusting to her habits. I was also ill-prepared to be left to fend for ourselves when they would leave to visit their family or have week long jaunts here and there. I was definitely as a guest, and they never let me forget that this was THEIR house, with THEIR rules. My neighborhood was pretty and safe, defintely not in the downtown area. It was also surrounded by elderly people, so there was little opportunity to make friends, nor did my host family help us connect with any of their friends or people they knew our age. We were provided with pretty much everything we needed and we were allowed to use the cookware and laundry. We could also watch TV and films too. Like most people, we bused it to class. The bus stop was close to the house, but still a good 5 minute walk.

The food was amazing. My host mother was an excellent cook. No complaints there. I ate very well. My favorite was the chocolate cereal we had; it was like a granola mix with chocolate chunks, Casino brand. I miss that...I was a little miffed that my host family didn't invite me one time for lunch (even though it's not paid), and usually the stuff that smells the greatest and looked the most delectable weren't for us. Tant Pis!

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

We saw the castles in the Loire Valley, we also went to Lyon. I personally loved the Provence trip. Everybody who went did. It's the south of France and it was just beautiful. However, paying out of pocket...it was quite expensive.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Dijon is very safe. I had walked home alone from the downtown area from times than I could count in the dead or night/early morning totally fine.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

My comprehension of the language did improve, but how much of that is attributed to the classes and not my host family and the native speakers, I'm not too sure about. The program did encourage us to seek outside sources, such as the media and local bars. I spoke english everyday since the program had so much english speakers in the program, or even in my host family. I tried to use french, but more often than not, I reverted back to english, because it was more familar, and all the other students spoke it.

Select all that apply

• Host Family
• Americans