Study Abroad in Paris Past Review
By Sarah D (International and Intercultural Communication., Ithaca College) for
IES Abroad: Paris - French Studies
Maybe some things about the IES program could have been better, but many other things could have been worse. It's worth it just to go and see what happens. The program enabled me to go to Paris, which is what I really wanted. It also enabled me to travel outside of Paris, which was something else I wanted. I got what I wanted out of the program, which is really all one can ask for. It was worth the effort, the difficulties, the obstacles and hangups, for the experience that I left the country having had.
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. |
The professors were great, mostly native Parisians and all French, all very qualified in their subjects and all familiar with the needs and expectations of American study abroad students. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Most of the staff were very helpful, a combination of French and Americans that were overall well informed both about the host country and American higher education. The large size of the program meant that I had little interaction with staff members (though they were always there if I needed them). |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family was wonderful, in a great neighborhood (Malakoff), and I loved the experience, which really helped the cultural immersion and language-learning process <br /><br /> I lived in a great place, just outside of the city so it was quiet and residential, but still very close to the IES center and accessible to the center of Paris by public transportation. |
| * Food: |
Host family was very welcoming, fed me the expected number of meals, and very accommodating to my desire to cook for myself (since restaurants are pretty expensive, I did a lot of that). Ethnic foods (like Middle Eastern and Asian) are the most affordable ways to get a meal out (the best meal out is a falafel sandwich in the Jewish quarter, the Pletzl). |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
IES excursions were okay, but cultural activities were scarce and generally doing things yourself was preferable. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Paris is a safe city, and I never felt concerned for my health or safety. |
| 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? | ? It was a long time ago. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | You can save money if you don't eat out, but plan on transportation and travel costs, don't go shopping, and give yourself a budget. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
The fact that all of my peers at IES were American, and the fact that it's not always easy to ingratiate yourself with locals, made it occasionally difficult to get out of the "American ghetto", but the homestay with a French family and the internship helped with that a lot, and that was where I learned the most French. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | If you want to see Paris and learn French, go! If you want an American experience, safe within a group of Americans, go! If you want to get out on the streets and meet French people, go! Any way you want to experience this program, it can be done. |
