Exciting, enriching and incredible. Past Review
By hannah c (HISTORY., Cornell University) - abroad from 09/04/2011 to 06/19/2012 with
EDUCO: Paris - EDUCO in Paris
My French improved by leaps and bounds, I made French friends that I will be in touch with for a long time, I found my true passion in life through the baking course that EDUCO offered, where I got an internship later on. It was the most incredible experience in my college career to date.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Université de Paris I - Panthéon Sorbonne Université de Paris VII - Didérot |
| 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. |
Certainly not as challenging work-wise as Cornell, but getting into French mode and learning in French takes some getting used to. The system is very different than in America, there are no weekly readings nor homework, just 1 or 2 major assignments and a final. The daily workload isn't rigorous, but it all catches up to you towards the end of the semester and can get pretty intense (think prelims). EDUCO offers plenty of support to get your papers edited, which is very helpful. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The women at EDUCO are very easy to communicate with through email and by dropping by the office. However, I felt that there were aspects of the program that were not very well organized. Metro pass applications for yearlong students should be filled out before hand since it takes several weeks to get them in the mail. During my second semester, I went to the Secretariat's office and it turned out that I hadn't been registered for any of my classes in Paris I which is very disturbing to hear at the end of the semester before finals. It takes forever to get transcripts back on campus. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Best part about the EDUCO program. They do a great job finding families for homestays, and the apartments aren't bad either. I highly recommend doing a homestay, don't worry about your privacy or independence; at least in my experience, my family was very respectful and easy-going. It helps your language skills so much, and it feels like you have a real home-base in a foreign place. |
| * Food: |
It's so easy to shop in Paris, there are grocery stores and restaurants around every corner and some grocers will even deliver to your door. Living with a family took a lot of pressure off as well since they provide 3 meals a week (or more, if you get a laid-back family). Never once had any complaints about the food. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
It took some time to find French friends, I definitely felt like I needed both semesters in order to cement my relationships with French people. But in the end, I came home with a bunch of friends that I could call up any time and ask to stay with if I want to come visit Paris again. The culture is very adaptable since France is a Western country. It can be easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle of a big city like Paris after spending 2 years in Ithaca, but living with a family and making an effort to meet French people really made a difference. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Cannot speak to this, as I did not have any health issues. |
| * Safety: |
Rarely felt unsafe. Don't do stupid things like walk home by yourself at 3 in the morning. If you have to, carry mace or pepper spray. It might be illegal in Europe, but when it comes down to your personal safety, I don't think that matters. |
| 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) |
Paris is very expensive city. If I hadn't gotten a job, I would not have been able to support myself without my parents' help. Especially if you want to travel, I would suggest saving a lot of money, or making some while abroad. I got paid about $90 a week, and I could live on it without going out or eating out very often. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $50 or more |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Get a job. Don't shop for groceries at Monoprix, choose Franprix or one of the low-cost groceries instead. Find cheap bars. http://wb.lafourchette.com/ this website offers special deals on restaurants, with up to %40 off of your check. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
Living with a homestay forced me to speak, and taking classes in French forced me to listen and write. |
| 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? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | FREN 2190 |
| 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? | Take a phonetics class, or take the EDUCO phonetics class offered in the fall. It was the most helpful French class I have ever taken in my life. |
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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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | That you have to fill out forms for getting the Imagine-R year-long metro pass. I would have filled them out and had them ready to go by the first day I got into Paris so I wouldn't have to wait months to get it. It's expensive, so getting it late is a waste. And I wouldn't have spent money on metro tickets in the hopes that my year pass would show up in the mail that day... Just bite the bullet and get a weekly or monthly Navigo. |
