Paris is a place of cultural wonder as well as tension, and in it, I found a new view on the world. Past Review
By Susanna M (MCDB, University of Colorado - Boulder) for
CIEE: Paris - Summer Contemporary Music Creation + Critique
It was worthwhile because I learned so much about the world, and it opened my eyes to the issues that face every country, and every city all over the world. Paris is not exempt from cultural tension and racism, and this dichotomy between the immigrants and the Parisians can be overwhelming. I certainly learned a lot, and, in fact, I found that my once romanticized Paris, became just another hustle and bustle. We each find our way in the world and our place in groups somehow. I think that this will have a huge impact on the type of areas that I plan on living for the rest of my life; as well as change my outlook on the social structures behind each interaction in a new place.
Personal Information
| 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. |
The workload was just perfect for the timing of the courses, and the instructor was extraordinary. The education system was totally different, but it was needed to see how people in different parts of the world view education. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They were wonderfully kind and generous, but they also tended to plan things a bit too much, such that, at points, it felt like a summer camp instead of a study abroad. I wanted more freedom from American life, and there were a lot of times when I felt social pressure to remain within the American group dynamic. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The neighborhood was enlightening, but it definitely should be noted that the area of town caused some people on the trip unease. I, however, found that the people there were some of the most generous and open about their culture (an arrondissement of Paris with many immigrant populations) compared to the Parisian French people that I met. Also the aparthotel that we stayed in had bedbugs, which ended up being a huge fiasco in miscommunication across cultures for my roommate. |
| * Food: |
Paris is expensive. Eat at home whenever possible, it tastes much better anyway. We got in the habit of cooking each other dinners, so it was kind of a trade off. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The weekend trips to Dijon and Normandie were interesting and quite a bit of fun, because it gave us a chance to bond as a group away from Paris. However, I felt like a lot of the activities in Paris felt like they were holding our hands too much. I am a fairly independent 21 year old who has been living on my own for 3 years and has traveled independently many times before. So having someone tell me know to ride the metro was less than necessary. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Safety was good, the staff even goes out of their way to have a sort of mental health "check-in" every couple weeks to make sure that you are adjusting and enjoying your time there. However, I did find it difficult to truly explain the problems that I was facing without running into a type of cultural barrier. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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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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? |
People around where we lived, people in the program (staff) and the educators, as well as outside french friends that I knew and speaking partners.Most French people would speak the language with me if I asked, but the other American students spoke english together. But I came in fairly fluent, so the language acquisition was mostly in the academic usage. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Stick to a budget, and understand your purpose for going. You don't have much time, and if you don't come in with some sort of direction, you can feel lost about what to look for/get out of the experience. |
