Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

EF in Nice was a blast! Past Review

By (University of Oregon) - abroad from 06/25/2012 to 09/05/2012 with

EF - LEARN A LANGUAGE ABROAD

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
i learned a lot about foreign perspectives on the US, about different cultures customs, and ways to improve my life. it was very worthwhile!

Review Photos

EF - LEARN A LANGUAGE ABROAD Photo

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Excellent education, most professors were very supportive and willing to help.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

All of the staff were friendly and interacted with the students often, really made an effort to get to know students and support them in their international pursuits. It was a bit pricey especially for the excursions that the school offered and I felt like they put on a lot of sales pitches to their students for buying their products and other services. This was a little annoying. But the rest was a great time that I will remember for the rest of my life.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I got sick a few times, which was stressful, but was able to find english-speaking doctors in the area who helped with the right diagnosis.

* Safety:

I felt safe most of the time, but at night I was scared to walk home alone. I was physically assaulted twice by drunk men when walking by myself and got verbally insulted/hit-on very often. ALWAYS walk home with a friend at night after drinking, especially if you are female, it is much safer.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Finances

* 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)

drinks at bars were VERY expensive. average of 8-10 euros per drink. activities in Nice and surrounding areas (Monaco, Cannes) are NOT cheap. if you plan on not going out at night very often you will save a lot of money, and just avoid the tourist traps that overprice cheap items.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? about 100-150 euros per week, sometimes more if i was traveling or going to shows
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? buy cheap alcohol at stores before going to bars, don't waste your money on expensive drinks!

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

a lot of people spoke english, unfortunately

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Beginner
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Intermediate
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? 4 levels of french
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? talk to your host family in the language a LOT! this is the best way to learn because other students will most likely just communicate with you in english

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • International Students
  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • friends!
  • going out to bars (I was 20 at the time I went and couldnt drink in US)
  • living with a host mother
* What could be improved?
  • i wish i had traveled more around the region
  • i could have spent money more wisely instead of buying so many drinks in bars
  • i could have practiced more french with locals instead of resorting to english
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? bring a french-english dictionary, i forgot to bring one and it would have helped a lot.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you.
The Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.