Summer in Paris Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Overall, I thought the workload was on par or a little less than a comparable course at my home university. It was also nice that we were able to go on excursions into Paris as part of the class.

On-site administration of your program

Overall, I liked how the program was organized. There were a number of organized excursions (bike tour around Paris, group dinners, etc) but we were also given quite a bit of freedom.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I liked our apartment hotel, it was fairly comfortable with separate sleeping and sitting rooms and a kitchenette. It was in the 19th district of Paris, which was farther from the CIEE center and the central city than I would have liked. There were also some students who said they felt unsafe in our neighborhood, but, while it definitely wasn't a wealthy neighborhood, I never felt like it was dangerous.

I thought the buffet-style breakfasts in the hotel were pretty good. They had fresh fruit juices, coffee drinks, pastries, crepes, and some yogurts and cheeses. The lunches were also of pretty good quality, but we went to the same place (La Croissanterie) every day, and I was pretty sick of the food by the end of the stay. For what we were paying, I would have liked more options. There were also very limited options there for people with dietary restrictions.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

We went on a day trip to Provins, a small medieval town, and a weekend trip to Dijon. They were both pretty fun, but I would have liked to have a few more activities. On both trips, we basically took a tour, ate a meal, and then were on our own.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I never had any health issues, so I can't comment on that. In terms of overall safety, I never felt truly threatened, but you definitely have to be on your guard in Paris. We were approached multiple times by pickpockets and aggressive panhandlers, and several people on the program had things stolen. However, unlike in the U.S., thieves rarely have weapons. Street harassment was also a big problem for female students. Most of us experienced unwanted touching and rude comments.

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

We spoke French in class, but most of the time we spoke English with other students. We were also given French conversation partners, but I don't think most people spent much time communicating with their partners. Still, between the class time and interacting with local people on the street and in shops mainly in French, I was definitely able to use the language more than I would at home and improve my skills.

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• Hotel

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• Americans

• I really enjoyed the course I took, French Literature and Film, it was a great opportunity to have French discussions and the teacher was very well informed.

• Sometimes I felt like things were a little disorganized.