Annecy a small, French town made into a home away from home Past Review

By (Biology, General., Truman State University) for

College Consortium for International Studies (CCIS): Annecy - Institut Français des Alpes

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
After my program ended in May, I decided to stay the summer too because I loved the area and there's so much that happens in Annecy during the summer. I lived with two French girls and honestly I learned more from living with them than I did going to school for the previous four months. But none the less, I met a lot of nice people at IFALPES from all over the world.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

Even in France, my host mom found a way to feed me given my lactose intolerance.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Even though cultural events were a little expensive and you could do them on your own for less, it was worth it to do them with with the groups as the guides and other participants were both friendly and knowledgeable.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

Finances

* 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)

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
Language acquisition improvement?

Most people spoke english and the minute class ended (where no english was allowed), everyone switched to it.

If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? The challenging part of this experience was being motivated to do the work. Most of the improvement I made was due to the conscious effort to study and work on my French, as the demands/homework weren't too extensive.

Comments

That's wonderful! We are happy to hear that you had an amazing study abroad experience! CCIS

CCIS April 24, 2014