Paris was fun! Past Review
By Lauren P (Business Administration, Management and Operations., Trinity University) for
IES Abroad: Paris - French Studies
Yes it was completely worth while. I met a ton of amazing people, saw amazing world-known buildings and art work. It was a fantastic experience and now I can say that I live in Paris for 4 months!
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. |
The work load was pretty easy but the classes were super interesting! |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The advisors and professors were so helpful with questions about personal problems, places to eat, shows to see, night club to check out, everything! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I never really got on a "family" level with my host family. I'm not sure if it was the language barrier or because there we 4 other young kids the parents had to deal with, but I always sort of felt like a guest. They were really nice but I never really settled in completely. |
| * Food: |
You have to have a crepe off the street! My favorite place became Metro stop Place Monge (rue Mouffetard) Yum!! So good! There are a ton of bakeries right near the I.E.S. center as well which had fantastic baguette sandwiches! I think I miss those the most. We also did a lot of Indian and Chinese food which was always tasty. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I.E.S. had a bunch of excursions every week for the students to choose from. They were all really cool and interesting. Sometimes they were plays, or ballets, or pic-nics, or visits to museums, but always fun. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I felt safe in my neighborhood and generally everywhere I went. I wouldn't recommend going out late at night on your own but I never had any problems. Some people I know have stories of people following them home or being pick pocketed so just be aware and sensible. |
| 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? | I budgeted for $100/week but probably spent more like $150-200/week |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Over-budget!! |
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? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I spoke french with my host family, my friend, and locals. I spoke the language everyday though most people can communicate in english. |
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 do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Don't over-plan, over-expect, over-think. Do over-budget! |
