Apprendre la langue et voir la ville Past Review
By Amy V (Communication Disorders, Truman State University) - abroad from 07/07/2014 to 08/01/2014 with
College Consortium for International Studies (CCIS): Annecy - Institut Français des Alpes
The experience was definitely worthwhile. I'd never been out of the country, and this was a great way to experience another culture while having the support of a school. I learned a lot of French between going to school all day and interacting with people at night.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The teaching from day to day could be a bit disorganized. That's the only reason I didn't give the program 5 stars. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The staff was very attentive and answered all my questions. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I liked the privacy of being in the residence. It was also great that they didn't give me a roommate! |
| * Food: |
I was in the residence hall, so I had to go out or get something from a grocery store for every meal. The food was really good, especially the ice cream. The only downfall was that I didn't have enough time between classes to go to a real restaurant for lunch. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I had lots of opportunity to go to community events and meet people in stores, but I didn't really get to know any French people outside of school. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I didn't have any experience with healthcare. I didn't need any extra vaccines coming from the US. |
| * Safety: |
I felt very safe in Annecy. I locked my door every night, but I was never in a situation where I felt unsafe or threatened. I was able to walk home after dark without being too afraid because the streets were well lit. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
|
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) |
I wasn't with a host family, so I had to purchase all of my meals. My expenses were higher than they would have been if I was with a host family. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $300 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Bread is really cheap, and it's a great breakfast. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
|
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
|
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 300 level college class |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Interact with people as much as you can. People will understand you even if your French isn't perfect. |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 0 |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I had known that American debit cards might not work. If I were to do it again, I would have brought more paper money to exchange in case of emergency. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
