International Best Friends Club Part 1! Part 2, to be continued in Cancun! Past Review
By A student (Political Science And International Studies, Ashland University) - abroad from 06/13/2012 to 07/13/2012 with
ESSCA Business School: Summer Programmes in France, Hungary and China
I learned so much about the European Union and this program has inspired me to write on the EU for my Senior Thesis.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | I took classes at ESSCA in Angers and Paris, France. |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Great balance of academics and time to explore and have fun! Also the program was in English so it's perfect for people who want to experience France and Europe, but have little use of the French language. |
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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? |
In Angers, we had a private bedroom and a private bathroom student apartment for four people with a communal kitchen. It had everything including silverware, plates, cooking utensils, stove-top, microwave, and individual fridges. Also, every place we stayed in was close to the metro, a bank, food places, and a grocery store. Plus it was all clean and friendly. Great experience! |
| * Food: |
The food in France is wonderful! But it is important to remember that not all meals are included in this program. (Which was better for me because in Angers there was an open air market every saturday so sometimes you really do want to cook your own amazing dinner!) |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
By the end of three weeks none of us wanted to leave Angers and we continued to reference the town afetr we left. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
There were no major health issues, but I am confident that the wonderful staff would have fully and wonderfully addressed the situation. |
| * Safety: |
No place is 100% safe, but Angers in particular felt extremely safe! In Brussels and Paris you must stay on your toes, but that is normal for any major city. |
| 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) |
You can survive on a student budget, but expect to spend 15-20 euros a day (eating dinner out in Brussels and Paris can get expense, but also it is important to think about having an alcohol budget because that expense alone can help your perspective). |
| * 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? | About $150-200 including conversion from US dollar to euro |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Have an alcohol budget (and stick to it!) and try to do group dinners (the whole group spends time together and splits the cost of a family size meal). |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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?
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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? | Because of new developments at my home institution, I would have prefered to have choosen a French language immersion program, but I loved this program nonetheless. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
European Economics |
| Course Department: | |
| Instructor: | David Rees |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | The teacher gave off a sense of being unknowledgeable, partly because he was not always well-prepared, used unprofessional and unreliable sources for his information in class, and was often too casual. Although many other students loved him and he was generally entertaining. So, half and half. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | N/A |
