Paris: C'est la Vie Past Review

By Jennifer W (International Relations And Global Studies, The University of Texas at Austin) for

IES Abroad: Paris - French Studies

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

This trip has been an incredible addition to my life, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. Even almost four months after the end of my program, I am planning a return trip and aspire to teach English abroad.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	Workload was what you would expect for summer classes- class Monday through Thursday. My courses were entirely in French. Professors were required to take us on field trips that related to our course matter, and that was an amazing way to see different sides of Paris. All my classmates were American, and our courses were held at the center like regular University classes in America, so I cannot make a true comparison between the two educational systems.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	Loved them and thought they were extremely available and helpful and sympathetic to issues about changes that American students fac when coming to live in Paris.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	My host mother was great. She had been housing American students for ten years, so she knew what she was doing. She even has spare supplies such as a hairdryer, shampoo, conditioner, and soap for us to use.
* Food:	Paris is extremely expensive to eat out in, so most of my cuisine experiences came from my host mother's cooking (which was excellent). I would mostly buy baguette sandwiches from boulangeries or my own ingredients for a meal at a place like Monoprix, Carrefour, or Franprix.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	Syphax off of the Notre-dame-de -lorette stop on line 12 was a great bar where I always met French people...we were always the the only Americans. And it was cheap!
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:	A girl in my program was attacked but okay. Lots of creepy people on the metro late at night. I felt as though I was a target because I am a girl and sometimes its obvious that I'm american as well, so lots of guys yelling things.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes

Finances

* 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)
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Didn't take into account the exchange rate and the relatively inflated prices inside Paris, making it very expensive. Spent way more than intended.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	Yes
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program?	Advanced
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure?	Advanced French I
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?
Language acquisition improvement?	Used the language everyday in basic transactions. English was spoken occasionally, but not counted on. I practiced with my housemate, my host mother, my friends and with French people that I met.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Host Family
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Host Family
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Americans

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?	Language Staff Center
* What could be improved?	Classes were too long
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	It doesn't matter how fashionable you think you are, you will feel a bit out of place when you come to Paris. As an individual who has a fairly up-to-date style and loves clothes, I still spent a ton of money buying clothes abroad and not even touching my clothes from home. Be prepared to buy a lot of clothes and consider leaving your clothes at home. Also, Paris is nothing like Texas in the summer. It was rainy and I found myself wearing jackets very often. Don't even think about packing a summer dress.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	French Culture
Course Department:
Instructor:	Sophie
Instruction Language:	French
Comments:	My favorite course. Sophie in an excellent professor who spoke slowly and took us on very interesting field trips. Great class and I learned a lot.
Credit Transfer Issues:	No.

Course Name/Rating:	Impressionism in Paris
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language:	French
Comments:	Loved the professor and the field trips. She was fairly easy to understand and really passionate about the subject.
Credit Transfer Issues:	no.