Study Abroad in PARIS! Past Review
By A student (Clinical Psych, Tufts University) for
Columbia University: Paris - Reid Hall
I love the city of Paris. And traveling through Europe. I did about one trip away per month and felt like that was a great balance. I think my abroad time has helped reinforce my sense of self-sufficiency and obviously vastly improved my french language ability.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Paris VII, Academie de la Croix Nivert |
| The term and year this program took place: | Fall 2008 |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
It was a great semester academically. The one mandatory french academic writing class was not useful, but the other four classes I took were all taught by wonderful professors who really cared about their subject material and took advantage of the resources offered by the city of Paris. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administrators were all incredible. My adviser, Christine Valero, was the single most helpful person I've talked to in college. They were all friendly, available, and bent over backwards to simplify any situation. They did all the communication with the French universities, helped arrange doctor visits, scheduled tutoring sessions, everything... |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I stayed at the Cité Universitaire in the 14th arrondissement of Paris, essentially a dorm-style building with shared bathrooms and kitchens, primarily for grad students. <br /><br /> It was a little isolating because I was the only one from my program in the building and it is very far out from the center of the city and the housing organization hired by Columbia was incredibly frustrating. |
| * Food: |
Grocery shopping was by far the cheapest option. Wine, cheese, and baguettes from the local bakery cost almost nothing and are delicious. I also loved grabbing paninis from the stands all over the city. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Take a moment. Picture Ivy League students who have chosen to spend their semester in Paris. Think about if that matches your friend group of choice. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
The program advisers were fantastic about lining me up with a french doctor when I came down with a 24-hour virus and I got treatment and medication for very cheap. |
| 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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Cabs are expensive, if you like to go out, the drinks and cover charges are expensive. Make sure to plan for a lot of start up expenses (metro pass, phone, internet, etc). |
Language
| Language acquisition improvement? |
All classes were taught in French... intimidating at first, but easy once I plunged in. I didn't live with a family, which would have really helped push me to speak more French outside of classes, but the program provides a week-long homestay trip outside of Paris, which did help a great deal. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Go out of your way to see all of Paris. There is a lot available for you if you want to take advantage of it. The program will also reimburse you for 50 euros worth of cultural expenses. So go to museums, see french films. Try it all. |
