Paris: I wish I was French, but I know I never will be Past Review
By Kathryn B (Art History, French, Fordham University) for
IES Abroad: Paris - French Studies
I think that studying abroad made me think about the world in a different way. I really enjoyed seeing how the French live their lives. They take the time to appreciate art and culture more than we do in America. Obviously not everyone, but I definitely felt different in Paris and would love to live there one day. I have the same lajor and still am unsure about my future plans.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Institut Catholique de Paris |
| 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. |
Though the workload was relatively small, there was much more work at the end of the semester than I am used to. My teachers were helpful, but not as willing as American teachers to help me outside of class hours. Writing a dossier is very different and more straightforward than writing a normal essay or paper. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Strengths: small, personal program. Instructors used to American students. Cultural activities. Weaknesses: too sheltering, unrealistic attendance policy, bad housing. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Normal French apartment residents - families, students, young professionals |
| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Went on many field trips with my art history classes - where I learned the most. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Called us when there was a bad strike and it was dangerous to take metro. I never had to use local healthcare but I heard it was very slow. The pharmacies were very helpful and you could get a perscription for certain drugs there. |
| 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? | About 100 euros a week. Tried to not buy food out, but it's hard. Paris is a very very expensive city and requires a lot of spending. Coffees priced differently for where you sit at a cafe. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Metro pass is 65 euros a month, drinks are very expensive. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Intro to French Literature |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
Teachers, classmates, friends. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live 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? | I think this program can work for a lot of different people. I think this program is great for so,eone who really wants to take advantage of Paris and not just travel every weekend. |
