Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Best Experience of my life! Past Review

By (International Relations And Global Studies, The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 01/20/2014 to 05/16/2014 with

Institute for American Universities (IAU): The School of Humanities & Social Sciences, Aix-en-Provence, France

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
The overall program was amazing, I'd do it all over again but I'd be smarter with my money. Don't buy much when you first get there just because you're excited, you have plenty of time to buy souvenirs before you leave. What I like about the program was that we were encouraged to travel.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Finances

* 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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 100+
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Pack a lunch instead of always eating out for lunch, it adds up very very fast and you can buy more things at Monoprix

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

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

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Time that was alotted for days off to be able to travel.
  • The professors are amazing and personalbe.
* What could be improved?
  • Aix en Provence is a pricey city to begin with, so the program fees could be a little more friendly, especially for the Early Start Program.
  • A work out facility would be nice and helpful.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Aix en Provence is pricey.