An incredible semester! Past Review
By Rebecca G (Psychology, University of Rochester) - abroad from 01/07/2015 to 05/09/2015 with
IES Abroad: Nantes - French Language Immersion & Area Studies
The program was definitely worthwhile! I loved the French immersion aspect of the program and my French skills definitely increased. I became more comfortable speaking and communicating.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I really enjoyed the opportunity to take classes at the local university in Nantes. The class that I took at the university ended up being my favorite! I went into the program expecting to want to take more classes at the University, however, I tried several out and was not very excited about the 2 others. They were both huge classes and the students there did not seem to be interested in the classes and talked throughout class. The class I ended up taking was much smaller and the professor encouraged student participation, and I preferred that atmosphere. I took my 4 remaining classes at IES. I was able to take courses in a wide variety of subjects, which I don't typically do in the States so I enjoyed that opportunity. I felt that the classes were very manageable and the workload was relatively light. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program was very well organized! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I really enjoyed my home stay experience! There is definitely an adjustment period and it took me a little while to feel comfortable living in someone else's home and doing it while speaking French. That being said, my host family was always very welcoming and accommodating. They were only required to feed us 5 dinners a week, but if I did not make other plans with friends to eat out for my 2 dinners they welcomed me to eat with them. Also, if I was home for lunch on the weekend they always invited me to eat with them which was not at all required by the program. The home stay was the part of the program that most definitely had the greatest impact on my languages skills. |
| * Food: |
Delicious! The boulangeries were hard to stay away from! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
IES offered weekly conversation clubs with local French university students, but I feel like this was one of the main opportunities to meet French students our age. Spending time with my host sister and her friends definitely helped me feel more connected to the local culture and was always fun! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I never had any health problems, but my friends who needed healthcare seemed to have no problem accessing it. |
| * Safety: |
I felt really safe in Nantes. I never liked being out waiting for the bus at night, but I was always with friends and I never had any problems. |
| 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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $100 |
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 |
Always! At IES there is a no English policy, so French is always encouraged. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| 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? | French Literature |
| 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? | Spend time talking with your 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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| 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? | I wish I had known how long it would take to adjust to being abroad, but also how far my language skills would come and how much of an incredible experience it would be. |
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 LinguistYou 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! |
