Paris: food, beauty, adventure-- Best Summer of My Life! Past Review
By Florence K (Social Studies, Harvard University) for
Columbia University: Paris - Reid Hall, Summer
I gained an understanding of French ways of living, French mentalities and French politics that I would not have gained, had I not gone there. I now have a growing interest to study France in my studies at university.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload was very manageable and really enhanced the learning experience in the classroom. The grading system used is the French system, so everything is graded using the "20" system. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Help was always accessible. The program was very open to helping students with absolutely anything, and they were really committed to making our experiences the best they could possibly be. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
It's France! Of course the food is good! For cheap meals, there are baguette sandwiches sold everywhere which are really good. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The program organized day trips to places such as Giverny and Versailles, as well as overnight trips to Mt. Saint-Michel, Normandie and St. Malo. They also gave students the opportunity to go to wine-tasting workshops, and french cuisine workshops. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Paris is a pretty safe city. However, since it's a metropolitan area, you should of course take precautions: don't walk alone at night; don't walk around with your bag open; etc. |
| 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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Food is very expensive. You spend a lot more on food that you will expect to. Also, public transportation (taxis and metro) can also end up being expensive over an extended period of time. The exchange-rate between the dollar and the euro doesn't help. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | French 40 |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
I was staying with a host family, so I had many opportunities to practice French at home. In addition, I spoke to everyone at the university in French. I also practiced the language in day-to-day interactions with strangers. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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 did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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