More than one could hope for Past Review
By Maria Hincapie (Adelphi University) - abroad from 09/10/2016 to 12/21/2016 with
Institute for American Universities (IAU): The School of Humanities & Social Sciences, Aix-en-Provence, France
I definitely learned to open up, that it is not always bad to be vulnerable.
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. |
Business classes were very easy. Work load was light and lectures were easy to follow. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Administrators were very involved in student life and were easy to reach out to. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I absolutely adored my host family and house mate. They could not have given me a bettwr pick. |
| * Food: |
Breakfast was light and serve yourself. There were always options and special accommodation for my dairy intolerance. Dinner always consisted of at least three courses, always made that same night. Lunch we provides for ourselves but the university had a list of previosly recommended places for students. Many local lunch spots had student discounts. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Locals were very friendly but being around so many American students it was difficult to fully feel submerged in the culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I did not have a personal experience but those i know who did were not thrilled but thought it was good enough |
| * Safety: |
I felt extremely safe at all times of day and night walking with friends or alone. Aix is very much a walking city so it is important to feel safe when doing so. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I met so many amazing people during study abroad. I believe that part of the great relationships I built are credited to the environment. Being in a small city it was easy to feel at home after just a couple of weeks. I felt like I belonged where I was. |
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) |
Aix is an expensive city but with home made meals available for breakfast and dinner it was easy to stay in budget for food and recreation. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 75€ |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | If possible, buy and keep groceries at homestay to make lunch meals a couple of days a week. This will help cut back on food expenses. |
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 |
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| 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? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | AP |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Join programs that allow you to meet local French students. |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Exchange |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
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? | To plan some trips ahead of time |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
