Paris: A City of Magic Underneath the Upturned Noses of the French Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I did incredibly well because I worked incredibly hard, and I was disappointed that that work was not rewarded by my grade being higher than the others. I certainly want to support my fellow classmates, but I just wanted my efforts acknowledged for the steps I took above and beyond. The workload was heavy enough I actually learned French, but light enough I could travel on the weekends and not bring it with me.

On-site administration of your program

The directors did a good job of planning trips for us (four in total) on some weekends, but overall I felt like Marie Ange in particular was approachable but never around. She didn't come in most days because of this illness or that injury, and Joelle a lot of the time didn't have to knowledge, power, or connections to answer questions or help us with our problems. They were very nice and lovely, but I questioned their efficiency, reliability, and desire to get things done. They were helpful for saying places to go, and the program was a great size. My expectations were not met in terms of the helpfulness of the directors, but in all other aspects they were.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Safe neighborhood, lovely house, roomy space for the students (in Paris!!), and wonderful housekeeper. I felt accepted as a guest, and never really part of the family, but that's what I wanted. I was given my space and independence and not expected to be an active part of their lives, so it worked out really well. My host father was a bit of a chauvinist, and the host daughter smoked pot and had parties when she was home, but it was overall ideal.

It's Paris...my host family cooked well and...it's Paris!!!

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The trips to the South of France and Normandy were spectacular and gave us the opportunity to see things it would have been difficult to on our own.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Beware of getting money from an outside ATM (really only if you're a woman alone) and the area around Moulin Rouge, metro Pigalle, can be shifty at night (again particularly for women), but other than that it's pretty safe. Comparing it took NYC, it's a cake walk. Just avoid the far north at night if you can and put your guard up if and when you're there, and it's fine. I never had any problems, and the directors were good about helping the students who had any issues (of which there was only one I believe).

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

I spoke French with EVERYONE. I was placed with another Hollins student at our homestay, but we were rarely there together and talked only French with our host family. They did speak a little English which was nice when friends and family came to visit, but when it was just us it was always French. It was sometimes difficult to talk to Joelle and Marie Ange in French, because most of the time it was much easier for them just to speak in English, but they were patient with you when you tried. I had people in daily life switch to English when speaking to me sometimes, but by the end I had people coming up to me and asking me directions and such and I was able to respond and even chat a bit in French. Also, most of the French speak some English, but sometimes it was spoken with such a heavy accent it was impossible for me to understand, so I switched back to French to actually order or buy that pastry.

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• Host Family

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• Americans
• Host Family