France: Realizing I was already Independent Past Review
By Courtney L (Biology, General., Hope College) for
CIEE: Rennes - Liberal Arts
Yes! I loved that I was across waters and hearing a different language constantly.
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. |
Teachers were not as encouraging if you answered a question incorrectly. They wanted you to do your best, and could almost seem insulting compared to American teachers who always give a lot of positive feedback. Students did not recieve a lot of homework, but you could ask for some more worksheets if you felt you needed it. The tests were hard and the grading system different. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I would have liked more organized activities with french students since it was hard for me to meet them, I had to go looking on my own. Other than that, I thought the program was great. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I did not need to buy much to settle in, they provided me with mostly everything. My host family treated me as an honored guest and took me with them to see the sights, they also introduced me to their family where I became a friend to their grand-daughter. My host sister sadly, was not interested and was very busy so I did not speak to her. |
| * Food: |
I have lactose intolerance which was confusing for my family and hard to deal with since I could eat some things that had milk in it, but not all things. It was hard for them to not make things that had a heavy cream base. The quality of food was good. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I loved that we visited castles. I also loved that we were in Paris for orientation. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I felt it was very safe, health care was easier to access than america, but still unnerving because it was in another language. |
| 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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | The dollar was very weak in europe, so personal expenses varied around 100 dollars. Food was provided by the host family so I bought only a few snacks. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I did not expect the dollar to drop in value as much as I did while in France, I would suggest students to watch the value while abroad because it can change drastically. the phone was a huge expense! I really suggest using skype because those were unexpected bills. |
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? | Three hundred level |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
In the city I lived in, very few people knew english words to the extent of having a conversation. I used French in everyday situations all the time and wasn't allowed to speak English around my host family. The only time I spoke a lot of english was with other Americans. |
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? | A student who can ask questions and knows what they want out of the program. You make the best out of the program. |
