Paris: My Second Home. Past Review
By Jessica M (Humanities, Providence College) for
CIEE: Paris - French And Critical Studies
I learned a lot about myself. This program helped me mature in various ways. I made life long friends through this program. I saw things and went to places that were incredible.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The relationship between student and teacher was less formal than the traditional American student teacher relationship. The city of Paris itself was a major educational tool (i.e. field trips) |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administration was VERY helpful. They had a personal relationship with all of the students and were extremely approachable for all students. There were only 30 of us so it was not a very big program. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I loved my host family. They made me feel like a member of the family the second I arrived. It was a 30 minute travel to my center including taking the metro. Everything in the house was at my disposal. |
| * Food: |
the food was expensive. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Mussee d'orsay, Paris fashion week fashion show, eating dinner at the Eiffel tower, the jarden de tuilerie, the Champs Elysee, the beaches of Normandie and the memorial de la paix. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Paris was a relatively safe city. It would be smart to not travel alone when possible but traveling alone is safe. |
| 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 recommend cooking meals and using RyanAir for traveling. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I could practice French with my Host mom and brother, my teachers, my fellow students, and people living in Paris. Although a lot of people knew English many did not speak it to me and I didn't want them too. |
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? | TAKE IT. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
The 20th Century French Novel |
| Course Department: | Litt 3001 |
| Instructor: | Derek O'Regan |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This class was very interesting. I had to read 6 french novels (translated into English) and write 3 papers. We had 3 field trips within Paris that related to the novels. Derek was very passionate and knowledgeable. It was different than my American classes in that there were no specific topics given to us just a very general prompt. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | Yes. The two French classes I took were considered to be a repeat of the French classes I took at Providence. What I recommend is to not take the classes at Providence. I now have to take two extra classes because if I don't I will not graduate on time. |
