Past Review

By Andrew K (PSYCHOLOGY., Austin College) for

IES Abroad: Paris - Business & International Affairs

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

It was very worthwhile. I loved that it gave me a new view of the world, and that I got to meet so many new people and gain so much personal insight while I was away. I would do it again in a heartbeat, and I was really happy with all of my experiences there.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	the Overall experience was very good, but there were some downfalls. The program is very small and has limited resources. For example, no staplers or paper clips or study space for the students. We had to go to a different facility to get our supplies and to study. The workload was manageable, and the courses weren't too tough. I'd say i enjoyed it, but it could be improved in many ways.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	The administrators were awesome, Peggy and Nathalie were incredibly helpful and always willing to help us plan trips or find activities in the city. They always asked how we were doing, and it was very clear that they had our best interests at heart.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	I lived in St. Mande with a family and dog. The Suburb was really nice, very well taken care of, and close to the metro for me to get anywhere I needed to go. It was a really good neighborhood, and my Host family was simply awesome. <br /><br /> My family went out of their way to help me out and to make me feel at home. I culd come and go as I pleased, but dinner was always there if I was, and they were genuinely interested in how things were going for me. The often would help explain cultural oddities and experiences to me.
* Food:	French food is delicious!
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	Everything was great, the program arranged for us to go on 3 different outings to nearby landmarks. The staff also encouraged us to get out and involved with French Culture.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:	It was good. Our administrators were always concerned when we got sick, and they made sure we saw doctors if we needed them. I felt just as safe, if not more, in Paris as I do at home.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes

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)
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	I spent about 50 euros on food per week. Metro pass for the month was 60 euros. Other expenses were things like trips and going out to plays and shows, but they were a little more expensive.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Write a budget down in the first week of what you generally spend and then try and stick to that. It was hard not to spend too much.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	Yes
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program?	None
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?
Language acquisition improvement?	I practiced with my host family, especially my host brother Massimo and his friends who were all my age. I also practiced with people in everyday life by trying to converse and communicate in French. It was really great.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Apartment Host Family
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Host Family
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Americans

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	If you have any French Language Skill I would suggest the IES French Program that was the sister program to the one I was in. All the classes were in French, but I think that helped even intermediate French speakers improve a lot more.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Beginning French
Course Department:	French 101
Instructor:	Claire Miquel
Instruction Language:	French/English
Comments:	It was challenging and informative, i learned quite a lot of useful French expressions, and we quickly learned what we needed to know to get around in the day to day experiences. We were also encouraged to go out and explore the city by our teacher through projects and assignments. It was a really good course.
Credit Transfer Issues:	N/A

Course Name/Rating:	Political Economy of the EU
Course Department:	Political Science 315
Instructor:	Alvaro Artigas
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	We talked a lot about current affairs as we worked through basics and more advanced concepts in how the EU functions as a political system and looked at the history of the EU to see how things became the way they are. Also we were encouraged, and required, to read current news articles about the subject. Great class but Alvaro had a bad habit of going on tangents and getting distracted from the topic at hand.
Credit Transfer Issues:	N/A

Course Name/Rating:	History of Art and Architecture in Paris
Course Department:	Art History 301
Instructor:	Anne Catherine Abecassis
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	Great course, awesome way to learn about art history. We went on field trips around the city for about half of the classes, and it was easy to remember things from the course because we had actually seen them. I would HIGHLY recommend this class to anyone going to this program.
Credit Transfer Issues:	N/A

Course Name/Rating:	Comparative European Political Systems
Course Department:	Political Science 300
Instructor:	Audrey Celestine
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	The course was alright, but it kind of felt like a history class. We did have field trips a couple of times, but it was not that exciting. However, our professor was very nice and the material was informative.
Credit Transfer Issues:	N/A