Past Review
By Molly Z (International Relations and French, Simmons College) for
IES Abroad: Nantes - French Language Immersion & Area Studies
Studying abroad literally opens up a whole new world to you. Just that makes it worth it!
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Univerity of Nantes |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
| The term and year this program took place: | Spring 2010 |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The staff was really well rounded. Madame Rouchet kind of leads everyone and she has been working there for 30 years, so she knows everything like the back of her hand. If I needed guidance, or a question as simple as where to locate stamps, she and the rest of the staff were always happy to help us and give us whatever resources were needed. There were about 60 kids on my program, and I think there were around 90 in the fall semester. Everyone comes speaking varied levels of french and you have placement testing in the first 10 days to find the best fit for you in terms of grammar classes. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family was my favorite part of the program. I felt right at home and they helped me so much with my french. I had my own room and bathroom and it was up to me how much time I spent with my host family. I was treated as a family member from the start. Everything was provided for me in terms of sheets and towels. I was about 20 minutes by tram or bus from the IES Center, which is in the town center. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The Orientation in Tours is great cause it gives you time to find friends. You go see the chateaux and you have all your meals together. And my friends were my other favorite part of the trip. We went out on the weekends, we cooked dinner, we went on vacations together. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
You get health insurance and you have to pay up front if you go to the doctor or dentist but you get reimbursed after. I felt overall safe. Its really a good idea to walk home with someone 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) |
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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I found that I bought a lot of snacks and spent a lot on food. The food is amazing! So watch out for that and also that the euro is doing better than the dollar. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
My language skills improved a lot. I found that my comprehension skyrocketed and my vocabulary as well. Speaking is still harder, but I've made a lot of progress. I can definatly have a conversation now and I am confident about daily interactions I have with people. I learned a ton from my host family. |
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's a amazing program. It's not to big, not to small, and it's probably the best thing I've ever done! |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
The Moyen Orient |
| Course Department: | P0 340 |
| Instructor: | Madame de la Foye |
| Instruction Language: | French |
| Comments: | This was taken at the IES center. The teacher is hysterical and she is extremely knowledgeable about the conflicts that occured and continue today in the Middle East. This was mostly a lecture course. She provides a lot of opportunities to answer questions though. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Grammar |
| Course Department: | Grammar 373 |
| Instructor: | Madame le Pous |
| Instruction Language: | French |
| Comments: | Most people, except the top level are required to take Grammaire. Even if you don't have to she is a character and her class is worth taking. She comes off strict, which in a way she is, but she clearly wants you to learn and is very encouraging. It certainly depends on the level, but it was definately up to the students to do a lot of the work on their own in the workbook. |
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| Course Name/Rating: |
Traduction/ Translation |
| Course Department: | at the Univeristy of Nantes |
| Instructor: | Michael Feith |
| Instruction Language: | French and English |
| Comments: | This was a very useful class. The teacher's knowlege of English is very strong. There are french university students in the class with you too. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
