Miss it already Past Review
By Arryn Z (Journalism., The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 09/18/2013 to 12/18/2013 with
Institute for American Universities (IAU): The School of Humanities & Social Sciences, Aix-en-Provence, France
I learned SO much French. It was absolutely worth everything.
Review Photos
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. |
Absolutely fantastic. Moderate classes that allow you to explore the city and cities around you. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Everyone was/is extremely helpful. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Host family let me do my own thing, but I literally got bare minimum from them. I got a place to stay and dinners everyday except Saturdays. |
| * Food: |
....Amazing... I miss it everyday. Fresh markets that are cheap and everyone is very nice. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I actually had a doctors appointment while there. It was really helpful, fast, and cheap. I'm actually going through the reimbursement process now. |
| * Safety: |
Never felt unsafe while there, even walking around at night. |
| 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) |
I was able to live on 80 euro a week. 10 euro a day for lunch, except for Saturdays which was 20 euro for lunch and dinner. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I spent about 100 euro a week all included. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Set yourself a budget. Find out your daily costs and only pull enough cash for that week. Once you're out of cash, you're out. It was a great way for me to save money. 10 euro a day was easy for me to do, including my daily coffees. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
Everything was in French aside from 2 classes. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Second year French |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Find someone to talk to. Always try even if you're terrible. Everyone in Aix was helpful when they knew you were trying. |
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 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? | Pack lighter. I only wore about half of what I brought with me. |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
