Nantes is awesome! But IES....... Past Review

By A student (University of the Pacific) - abroad from 09/05/2012 to 12/22/2012 with

IES Abroad: Nantes - French Language Immersion & Area Studies

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

I definitely loved studying abroad, especially here in Nantes. No one speaks English like in Paris and my host family was great. The university was fun and I made good French friends. The only thing I would change is studying abroad through a program like IES, I realize now that I would have learned way more french and had a better time if I would have been directly enrolled in the University and had all of my classes there.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	Classes at IES were way too much work, but classes at the University were good.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	I never had any problems with IES and everyone was always helpful if I had a problem but the program building just didn't have the atmosphere of somewhere that I wanted to hang out when I had free time.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	My host family was definitely the best thing that IES did for me, no problems at all with them.
* Food:	Host mom was a great cook.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	I made a lot of French friends but I know I would have made more if I would have had more classes at the University instead of spending half of my time for less than half of my classes at IES. If you don't do well at the testing at the beginning of the year IES encourages you to not take many classes at the University and I know alot of people that had all of their classes at IES and they didn't make a single French friend and were basically at IES or their homes their entire time in Nantes. The classes at the University are overwhelming at first but they are much easier than the IES classes and give you the opportunity to meet French people and not spend your entire day with Americans like at IES.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	Never had an issue where I needed health care.
* Safety:	Listen (or at least pretend to) music while you are waiting for the bus or tram because creepers will come up to you and either ask you for something, or try and hit on you and practice their non-existent english. But besides that the city is completely safe I never had a problem.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	No

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)	Everything is way more expensive than I thought, if you like to go out make sure you have plenty of money.
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	$150-$200
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Find a family with kids to talk to a few hours a week while your hear to make a little extra cash for the weekends, super easy to find.

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	Not allowed to speak English in the IES building which I think is a very good thing.
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?	4th semester French at University
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?	Take classes at the UNIVERSITY not IES. Here's the formula: More classes at IES = more American friends = speaking english all the time (yea yea you say at the beginning of the program that you'll speak French to each other, WON'T HAPPEN), more classes at the University = more french friends = speaking french more often.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Host Family
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Host Family
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Local Students Americans International Students
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?	The city itself Host family
* What could be improved?	IES course advising IES course times
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	Wish I would have know that the courses at the University are easier and the ones at IES are harder, I thought the contrary before coming here.

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 Academic or Linguist You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	French Writers and Foreign Nations
Course Department:	French Litterature
Instructor:
Instruction Language:	French
Comments:	The Professor was really nice and definitely knew what she was talking about, but IES set the syllabus and the books that they had us read were ridiculously hard really old French books that French people don't even read. I am fine with reading a lot but it should be books that people actually read and that someone at our level of French could understand (not books that even French people have a hard time understanding). Basically what I'm saying is that NO ONE read any of the books for class because we didn't understand anything because they were too difficult.
Credit Transfer Issues: