"Pourquoi Pas?" How Wandering Through France Changed My Life Past Review
By Alexandra V (Political Science/Communication, Tulane University) for
France Study Abroad Reflections: Comprehensive Reviews of Past Programs
YES. I loved this experience and any negative listed above is outweighed by an even more positive one.
Personal Information
| 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. |
The classes were taught all in French, which hugely aided my language development. I found the classes to be generally interesting and the teachers to be extremely nice and helpful in bridging the language and cultural barrier. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I felt that, while the director is American, there was a kind of anti-American way of speaking. That's not to say that this was overbearing or consistently uncomfortable but in some of the classes I felt that there were subtle attacks on the American value system and all we could really do was throw our hands up and say "Ok" simply because the way these statements were made were so matter of fact. I'm all for learning a new culture and exploring the differences but I don't see the need to say one is better than another - even in a subtle way, especially by an American - even if she expatriated to France. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host mother was AMAZING. Having nightly meals at home during the week (and on Sundays) was something I really looked forward to at the end of everyday. I was one of the furthest housing locations from campus and had to take a bus every day (5-25 mins depending on traffic) but the comfort level and fantastic experience with my host mother was well worth it. I left feeling like a member of the family and can easily say that this may have been my favorite part of my abroad experience - something I never expected, especially because I always said I didn't want to live with a host family. I was so wrong - this is invaluable. |
| * Food: |
Affordable places do exist even though Aix is, by most standards, a pricey-er place. Try sandwich shops and the market for money-conserving lunches and don't be afraid to use the AUCP fridge to store your food for the week. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Travel was made unnecessarily difficult by the program but if you work around their ridiculous rules and strategies to keep you in Aix, you'll be fine. I traveled a lot and was very pleased. I also made time to be social and make friends - both American and French. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| 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 came home essentially broke, but then again, I planned for that. I probably spent $5,000-$7,000 and traveled most weekends, went out on those weekends and paid for transportation. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Depending on where your host home is, you may have transportation fees and monthly bus passes are pricey and definitely weren't factored in when I first thought about my experience. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 300-level French |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | This program offers a lot so if you're someone who can cut away the fluff and just do what you know will benefit you, it will be amazing. AUCP is amazing if you make it the experience YOU want, not what they envision for you. |
