A Year Abroad Past Review
By Alex Powell (Ohio State University - Columbus) - abroad from 08/31/2016 to 05/06/2017 with
IES Abroad: Nantes - French Language Immersion & Area Studies
Huge self-confidence boost Absolutely worthwhile. 100% recommended
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Several opportunities for a variety of courses |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Fantastic staff |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
It's France :) |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Great info in orientation, and opportunities for exploration |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Options very clear at beginning for what to do if health care was needed |
| * Safety: |
Huge emphasis on safety by the staff Felt safe in my neighborhood at all times, though take care at night in Bouffay |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
The staff and professors exceeded any expectations that I held for an abroad program. I can only ever come up with cheesy, overused adjectives to describe my experience: amazing, unbelievable, magnificent. But it was. IES is a fantastic program. |
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) |
You can successfully live on a smaller budget |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $40-$50 |
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 |
Absolutely required |
| 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? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | French 3101/3202 |
| 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? | Read out loud |
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?
Select all that apply |
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 0 |
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? | It is extremely hard to make French friends |
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! |
