Paris was gorgeous and nourishing. Past Review
By Omar R (Economics And French, Rollins College) for
Hollins University: Paris - Hollins in Paris
It was worthwhile. I understand the importance of being in the country for language acquisition and I understand that you cannot learn the language apart from the culture behind that language.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Small classes and excellent professors from leading french universities (sciences po for example). highly individualized attention and great academic opportunities in general between internships, independent study/research, and small classes in amzing topics. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
weakness is the availablilty of courses, but that's because I was there for a year so I felt that it was limited in that sense. However, I would not change the number of students to accomodate a wider course selection because I felt that the small number was conducive to effective teaching/learning. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
great set up. |
| * Food: |
the hollins program took care of us all the way for every single meal abroad. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
had so much fun, city was full of events going on almost every night/weekend. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Paris can be dangerous at night, went through some rough experiences towards the end of the year which have to be addressed to students. Paris is not as safe as it seems. |
| 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? | we ate at a host family and Hollins gave us 5euros for every lunch. weekends tended to be pricier, I used to spend between 30-40 euros every weekend on eating out. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | you spend so much more than what you plan for. |
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? | French 331: introduction to french literature |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
they pushed for as much french as possible with us to get us used to the day to day experience of living in a country with a new set of rules, language, customs, etc. |
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? | it will change your worldview and how you relate to people. |
