Reflections on my study abroad in Paris Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I think that the workload for the practicum was slightly rigorous. Maybe not as rigorous as the Barnard and Columbia workloads, but still, we had compositions, presentations, quizzes, a midterm, and a final. It wasn't just an intensive language training - it was a legitimate class. I actually felt that Academic Writing was relatively lighter in terms of workload. However, you need to keep in mind that reading and writing in French is harder than doing so in English. So even if the workload was lighter, it would still take more time. I felt that my "Paris in Context" class was lighter than Columbia as well. One week we had a lecture and another week we had a walking tour. We had readings to do every week, but definitely not as much as at Columbia. The only actual assignments we had were two commentaires, and a final. Again, remember that reading in French does take a little more time. The Sciences Po classes, on the other hand, were challenging. For my "Realites Internationales" class, I had: an expose, a dossier cartographique, a point d'actualite, and two notes d'information. For my "La Genese de la Societe Francaise Contemporaine" class, I had two exposes but we had readings for the lecture portion of the class as well as a separate set of readings for the discussion portion of the class. We were required to write notes de preparation to show that we had done the reading. I found that I had to learn a lot of political science and history vocabulary that I didn't know beforehand, so reading and studying for these classes took more time. I also had two midterms, each of which were four hours on a weekend day. Of course, it was all worth it. I learned how to make more formal presentations, how speak better in public, and tons and tons of vocabulary that is going to be very useful to me as a political science and French major. The main difference that I perceived between the French and American university systems is that the French university system is more about looking at all of the different points of view and not really taking a position or stating your opinion. In my classes, I was required to write a problematique, which is a problem inherent in the subject that you are analyzing. You answer this question by looking at all of the different points of view. I saw the pros and cons of this kind of system. The pro is that you have an opportunity to understand a subject in multiple ways, which could lead to a better understanding of the problem. However, the con is that it is almost as if you are just spitting out what has already been said and you are not able to really explore your own ideas. Furthermore, I am not sure that people can really approach subjects without at least a little bit of bias. Nonetheless, I am glad that I got to study in a new way.

On-site administration of your program

I think that the staff were pretty accessible. I received responses to emails promptly, and I found that I was able to approach them about whatever issues I had. There were tutorats set up so that we could meet with professors and have our assignments looked over and be given advice.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I was living with my relatives in Montrouge, a suburb south of Paris. It was a very nice, calm, vibrant neighborhood. I was not far from Paris at all. My commute was around 30 minutes. I believe that some individuals staying with host families had a longer commute, so I got pretty lucky. Given that there are no dorms in Paris, having a short commute makes a huge difference.

I would suggest eating in the university cafeterias. Monoprix has some good sandwiches with reasonable prices. There are also a lot of places that have good deals where you can get a Greek sandwich, fries, and a drink for maybe seven euros. You could also do groceries and make your own food - that saves money too.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I partook in events with American Club Assas, an organization run by a student from the Ecole d'Assas (a very awesome individual, I must say!) that seeks to bring together French and American students (foreign students in general, in fact). With this organization, I visited the State Council, I attended an 80s/Grease party, and I went to a soccer match at Parc des Princes. Reid Hall gave us opportunities to see films, to see plays, to visit numerous sites, to cook various French foods, etc. There were also conversation workshops that helped us meet French students.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I did get sick once this semester. My grandma took me to her doctor, showed her card, and they told me all the medicine I needed. It was pretty simple! Otherwise, nothing serious!

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

I was able to speak a lot of French because I was living with my relatives. That alone gave me an edge over most study abroad students. In everyday interactions, I had to use French very often. Whether it's asking for something at the store or asking people for directions, I pretty much always needed to speak French.

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