Paris: Inspiring and Beautiful Past Review
By Mariela H (Marketing and Int'l Business, Trinity University) for
IES Abroad: Paris - French Studies
It was incredibly worthwhile. I had never been overseas and realized that people in Europe have such a different way of living than we do in the west. I would love to go back and pursue my masters there or possibly look for work. It truly is a life changing experience!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Overall it was a great experience. They do have a different grading system and the teaching method in France is usually professor-centric. However, because the majority of the students are American, they have tried incorporating a more student-centric style of teaching. The classrooms are small which helps the learning experience as you have more personalized attention. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I really did not know what to expect before going. It was a wonderful experience and I think the professors helped me improve my language skills enormously. The small classroom sizes were effective in giving us more personalized attention and most of the classes consisted of discussions and verbal activities which were helpful in developing speaking and understanding skills. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The apartments were singles so I lived alone but many of the other students in the program lived in the same building. |
| * Food: |
The food was delicious! The crepe stands near the Porte d'orleans subway station and the Eiffel tower were delicious! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The program offers trips to different parts of France- they are great! Take advantage of them. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Paris is a very tourist-y city so naturally there is a lot of pocket-pickers around especially in the popular attractions. The metro might not seem as safe at night. Every big city has its potential dangers so you should be aware and be careful! |
| 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? | Food was expensive so be prepared to spend! |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Try to eat in random bakeries. They are cheaper and have really good food! |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
Among the students in the program we would speak mainly English among ourselves but when it came to dealing with the professors or the locals it was 100% french. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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 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? | Go for it! You're gonna love it. Paris is a beautiful city to be in and for those looking for improving language skills, you will be exposed to so much French you're gonna come back thinking in french. |
