Year-long student, Paris Past Review
By Kimberly S (French, Tulane University) for
EDUCO: Paris - EDUCO in Paris
I love knowing that I can speak a foreign language. Doing this program made me feel like I could do most anything I set my mind to. I went out on my own, not knowing anyone in my program, and I made a lot of friends and learned a lot. I learned that I could be independent, but I also learned that I really love my friends at home and my hometown and I was very happy to return to Texas (where I'm from) and return to Tulane after being gone for over a year. I also had the opportunity to teach English while abroad, which was challenging, but also very rewarding when I realized that I had indeed made some progress (despite it being my first time to teach my native language). I loved my experience, and I would do it all over again. I hope to keep in touch with all the people that I met, both the Americans and my French friends, and I would love to visit again.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Paris !, Paris VII |
| 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. |
It was a light workload for the most part, but it became very hectic at the end of the semesters when all of the projects, papers, etc were due all at once. The work was not spread out over the semester. The teaching methods were almost strictly lecture which I found not as dynamic or engaging as my classes at Tulane. At Paris VII, the local students seemed disrespectful, disruptive, and disinterested. It was very distracting to be in an environment where I felt that the other students didn't care. For the most part, my professors were understanding and willing to work with me. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Some of the administration felt haphazard and not well though out. We were very much on our own to register for classes and find the right courses. I think this process could have been more facilitated which would ensure that our class selection be meaningful instead of just taking the class that's easiest to find. I also had some concern with the program's communication with professors, especially when it comes to receiving grades. I know that I, and some of my fellow study abroad students, felt unnecessary anxiety over whether or not our grades would be transmitted to the program and, subsequently, to our home university. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Although my host family lived a bit out of the way, I enjoyed my living situation thoroughly. They wanted to host a student, not to get a paycheck, but to expand their cultural horizons, aid me in expanding mine, and welcome a new member into their family. I was treated exactly like part of the family, and included in almost any and all of their plans. I know that I will keep in touch with them for years to come, and I miss them already. They provided items for me in my living arrangements from bedding to cookware and I lacked for nothing. I had complete access to the kitchen (although the fridge was always so full that there was barely any room for me to do any of my own purchasing). They also invited me to eat with them at any time if I was home. They were very gracious and a pleasure to live with. They enjoyed explaining things to me (from grammar to French history) and asked me questions about my own life. The improvement in my French was directly influenced by them. |
| * Food: |
I ate almost every night with my host family and most weekends as well. My host mother was a very good cook. For lunch, I mostly grabbed a cheap sandwich from a boulangerie on my way to class. Other than that, restaurants were much to expensive to eat at routinely. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I witnessed several parades and festivals as well as the Paris Marathon (which my host father took part in). My host family very graciously made me a part of many family celebrations including Christmas and New Year's. The field trips hosted by my program were also memorable because I got to share the experience with my fellow American study abroad students. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I felt very safe in my host family's neighborhood. It was a nice neighborhood, and my apartment was only a short walk from the metro. The metro also closed so early that you weren't getting home at 3 and 4 in the morning, and there were always people still out to catch the last metro ont he weekends. Healthcare in France was not my favorite. I broke my foot in the Spring semester and it was not adequately dealt with and the experience was quite frustrating. But it made me appreciate American healthcare even more! |
| 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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I don't really know how much I spent each week, but I'd say on average I spent about $300/month (some months much less, some months more). The Euro was very expensive during my time over there, so I tried not to spend exorbitantly (going shopping, eating out a lot). Soft drinks and alcohol were very expensive, so I learned to alter my lifestyle from what it would normally be in the US. Traveling I found to be cheaper than what you'd expect, but still on the expensive side. I took the EuroStar to London for I think around $200 round-trip, which isn't too bad, but then London was very expensive, so I spent more money there. I got cheap flights on EasyJet to go to Spain and Italy, and some pretty cheap train rides to Germany and the south of France. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Expect to spend more than your regular budget, especially if you're not the stay-at-home type. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 400 level french courses. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
Living with a host family improved my French tenfold. It was amazing to be able to go home and feel comfortable speaking a foreign language 24 hours a day. I used French in all of my everyday interactions at school as well as most daily interactions in the city. I really only spoke English with the other Americans in the program and some of the French people I met who wanted to practice their English. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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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? | A serious French student would benefit well from this program, living with a host family, and going to University classes with local students. |
