Paris, je t'aime! Past Review
By Ella P (Comparative Literature, Columbia University) for
Columbia University: Paris - Reid Hall
The time I have spent in Paris has been the most wonderful time of my life. For the first time since I started college, I felt like I was able to find a balance between doing school work and having fun. Studying abroad does have its challenges, but in the end I found it to be worth it.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | La Sorbonne |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
There are a great deal of differences between the French and the American university systems that take getting used to. In class, I often felt like I was getting the wikipedia version of events. The program has special methodological tutors who are supposed to help with the adjustment process (difference in essay structure, exam style, etc.)but, unfortunately, none of these tutors were particularly helpful. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family was the warmest, most welcoming family imaginable. They treated me like part of the family and made my experience the wonderful one it was. |
| * Food: |
I ate with my host family almost every night (eating out in Paris is expensive) and the food was wonderful. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I made some wonderful friends at Reid Hall and generally speaking, my social experience was great. That said, it is important to remember that the program is quite small and that it often feels like being in elementary school again, where everyone knows everything about everyone. It is also very difficult to meet French students, even if you're taking classes at French university. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
The local health care system is wonderful. It is easy to get an appointment with a doctor at a private practice, and without health insurance, it only costs 23 euro for a basic check-up. When I needed to go to the doctor's I did not contact Reid Hall because my Host Family was there to help me. |
| 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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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
My French language skills improved mostly from conversing with my host families. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live 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? | I like to think that I learned a lot while studying in Paris, but none of the amazing experiences I had would have happened had I spent all my time in the library. It is so easy to get distracted by school work, but I found that I learned so much more in the time I spent chatting with my host family, exploring Paris, and wandering museums than I did in the classroom. I made amazing friends, fell in love with the city, and ate the most amazing food imaginable. Use your time studying abroad to live abroad. |
