CIEE: Couldn't have picked a better program Past Review
By Megan J (Media Studies, The University of Texas at Austin) for
CIEE: Paris - French And Critical Studies
I wouldn't trade my abroad experience for anything in the world. I feel like I've grown so much as a person and have a level of independence that I never could have achieved if I did not leave home.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | N/A |
| 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. |
It was great and pretty relaxed, which allowed you to soak in the whole experience of being abroad rather than being completely consumed by school. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I absolutely loved this program, hands down. The administrators were amazing and always there if you had a problem or needed to just talk. They understood were we, as international students, were coming from. Our program was a little large, but I liked everyone in it. I am sooooo glad I picked this program. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I LOVED MY HOST FAMILY!!! They are seriously like my second family, and I hope to visit them after I graduate from college. I miss them so much right now. They lived in Levallois, which was really safe but kind of far out. But I requested that area. I wanted to be out of the city, in a more suburban area that was more family based. I feel so lucky to have spent my time abroad with them!! |
| * Food: |
I loved the food too. I mean come on it's France! I would suggest, if you are trying to save money, going to a Franprix or Monoprix during the week. Then going out to restaurants during the weekend. You can explore, just go into new and interesting looking places, and find your own place to call your own. There is this really great restaurant I went to every week with my friend in Montmartre. It's off of Rue des Trois Frères and called Pizza del Mondo. DELICIOUS!!! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I felt safe in Paris at all times, even when the metro closed on me at 2am. I had to go search for a bus to take me to Levallois and it all went smoothly. Health care was also really easy... kind of wish the US was like that. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I wish I would have known that the French government expected us to get another supplementary medical exam in France that would cost around 60 euro. Thank goodness we ended up not having to pay for it, but still... I would've been really upset if I had to. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 4th semester lower division French (FRE 312L) |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I practiced French when I went out and with my host family a lot. Most people at the center spoke English outside the classroom though. |
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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I loved this study abroad program. The people were great. I felt comfortable all the time and like it was right at my level, rather than extremely overwhelming like I feared it would be. I honestly don't think I could have picked a better program at all and would love to just replay my semester with CIEE over and over again. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Intermediate French III - Conversation and Culture |
| Course Department: | FREN 3102 |
| Instructor: | Véronique Teyssandier |
| Instruction Language: | French |
| Comments: | This class definitely helped me with my conversation skills, but I felt it was somewhat unstructured. I think there would be a more efficient way to run a conversation class. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Intermediate French III - Grammar and Composition |
| Course Department: | FREN 3101 |
| Instructor: | Delia Mellado |
| Instruction Language: | French |
| Comments: | BEST French Grammar class I have ever ever had. Made everything sound so simple and easy to understand. Delia seriously is A-mazing! |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No |
| Course Name/Rating: |
French Phonetics |
| Course Department: | FREN 3002 |
| Instructor: | Anne-Marie Ollier |
| Instruction Language: | French |
| Comments: | This course was amazing. It certainly was challenging at first, learning how to transcribe French into the phonetic alphabet only through French instruction! But I got so much out of it. Now when I look at new French words I know exactly how to say them without having to have it said by a native speaker first. And Anne-Marie is hilarious and amazing and I love her so much!!! This class was probably my favorite :D |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No |
| Course Name/Rating: |
From Page to Screen: Classic French Novels as Films |
| Course Department: | LITT 3004 |
| Instructor: | Claire d'Obaldia |
| Instruction Language: | French |
| Comments: | I was expecting this class to talk largely about the art of film adaptation. It wasn't. It was basically a literature class that we happened to watch films in. It was so hard to stay awake in. We just talked about what we thought about the book the whole time. But it did start to get better by the end after Claire listened to some of our suggestions. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Muslim Presence in Europe |
| Course Department: | SOCI 3001 |
| Instructor: | Yumna Masarwa |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | I LOVED this class. The grading was a little rough, but I feel like I definitely understand France, its immigration history, and its relationship with its Muslim population. I would definitely recommend this class. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No |
