Past Review
By bebesasa (ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE/LETTERS., Tulane University) for
IES Abroad: Paris - French Studies
There is nothing I would change. I loved every minute of it. The only thing I regret is that it ended so soon. Although, living for a semester in Paris is more than I ever dreamed I would be able to do, so I made the most of it. I am meeting up with friends from the program in a few days, and I definitely plan on going back to Paris either as a tourist or an inhabitant in the very near future.
Personal Information
| The term and year this program took place: | Spring 2009 |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I enjoyed the classes I took and thought my professors pushed me academically but understood that we were still learning as a foreign student. I always felt challenged, but when I worked hard, I achieved high scores. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Some people, not really me, fell through the cracks of the program and therefore had a bad experience. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Great cooking, well-kept apartment, great location, nice family. I did have a small room, but I didn't come to Paris to hang out in my room! It was easy to get to a popular metro stop and I always felt safe. |
| * Food: |
I enjoyed every French gastronomical experience. Often, it was disappointing that I would spend near 10 euro on lunch, but sandwiches for around 3 euro were available at almost any boulangerie. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I went on two "field trips" with my program which were both very fun, albeit a little poorly planned in terms of time management. We had a few different activities at the beginning of the semester and a farewell lunch at the end. I did think it was a little anti-climactic at the conclusion of the program, though. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Luckily I never got very sick, but some of my friends who did had a lot of complaints with the French medical system. I think our program did the best they could to bridge the gap between American and French healthcare but there was a gap. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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? | I spent approximately $200 a week, not including large travel tickets. Many of my expenses were not on a week-to-week basis. For instance, I would not travel every weekend, but I did go on "spring break" to Italy and we spent a good amount. I also bought monthly subway cards. I did spend a pretty average amount on food each week, though. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Make a budget and don't get overwhelmed at the beginning trying to buy gifts and souvenirs. Learn to get in a routine, so that each day isn't a vacation. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
I was very confident in my ability to speak French even half-way through the semester! |
Other Program Information
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Work hard, but always make sure you're having a great time. No one is going to babysit you, so come ready to dive into the experience. |
