Adventures in Parisian culture Past Review
By Erin Savre (St. Olaf College) - abroad from 01/11/2016 to 04/30/2016 with
IES Abroad: Paris - French Studies
I improved my language skills significantly. I immersed myself and gained a much deeper understanding for French culture. I pushed myself outside of my comfort zone and tried so many new things. I saw so many beautiful sight, monuments and museums, and I got to travel.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The staff was very helpful and were a great resource! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I loved my homestay! |
| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I definitely felt like I left like I integrated with the Parisian lifestyle. It was difficult to meet French people |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Yes, I had a fantastic time on my study abroad, and I would absolutely do it all over again. |
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) |
Paris is an expensive city. My host family provided me with breakfast and 3 dinners a week, which helped keep the cost down. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $100/ week |
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 |
They encouraged us to speak French all the time!! |
| 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? | 300 level advanced French course |
| 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? | I would recommend trying to only speak in a foreign language for an entire week. It's really hard, but by the end there is such an improvement. |
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? | 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? | I wish that I could tell myself to not be so scared, and I would tell myself to not be afraid to go outside of my comfort zone. |
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! |
