A supportive program, but lacking local integration Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The courses run by the program (one on European Integration and another on Contemporary European Affairs) were far more informative than classes taken at the University of Strasbourg. Classes at the university (I took them at Sciences Po Strasbourg) had a very light workload, but I did not feel like I was learning much throughout. Additionally the university administration was terrible- odd communication, issues with scheduling, issues with registering and getting the necessary documentation to procure a student visa.

On-site administration of your program

The CEPA administration made our program so much more enjoyable- our coordinator and office staff were phenomenal. They were extremely helpful at all times, and they were very friendly and easily available to talk about non-program related things, like giving travel recommendations or just discussing the surrounding society.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The Chateau de Pourtales is beautiful and may be the defining feature of this program. It's situated in a beautiful park, which has been especially nice now that spring is here. The rooms are decent (especially if you're lucky enough to get a single), though some of the mattresses are terribly old and rather uncomfortable. The kitchen has been remodeled but having one large kitchen for 30 students still proves problematic at times with cooking and cleaning. The one major downside of the Chateau, however, is that it's far outside the city- the closest bus stop is 15 minutes walk, totaling about 45 minutes to the city center, and considering public transit stops at midnight, ubers/taxis back can get very expensive.

Chateau breakfast is the light of my life.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

By the end of the program I felt like I could blend in and get around just fine, but I never felt integrated into French culture, largely in part because we rarely interacted with French students. We all took classes in English and therefore our classmates were all other international students, which was great, but it never felt that we were really integrating, just coexisting.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I have never felt unsafe or had any issue in Strasbourg, it was a very secure, comfortable place to live.

I chose this program for the support and student community it provides, fearing that if I had done a direct exchange and lived on my own I would have been very isolated. However, after getting settled I felt that I would have gained much more from being in the city, taking more classes at the university, and not being bound to a specific program's requirements. This program was great for providing comfort and support, but it was very easy to use as a crutch and avoid going out and really being part of student life in Strasbourg. Additionally, while the program promotes itself for providing excursions to nearby places and European institutions (which were sometimes interesting), I never felt like I gained much insight or enjoyment from most of these excursions- it felt like we were doing them just to do them. Ultimately some aspects of the program felt a little shallow, and while it was a good experience, if I were to go abroad for another semester, I would not do this program again.

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

The Chateau program is more expensive than just enrolling at the University of Strasbourg and living in a dorm or apartment, but once here budgeting did not seem very difficult. Grocery stores are reasonably priced, especially if you buy mainly raw ingredients, and I did not feel like I had to supplement many things besides food and some clothing when the weather changed. Restaurants and bars, however, proved more expensive, so going out could be costly.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

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• Hotel

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• Americans

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• Americans
• International Students

• Staff
• Student community at the Chateau
• Organization and resources

• Excursions
• Interaction with surrounding society