A Crazy Amazing Experience Past Review
By Alexandria Keefe Brennan (University of Southern Indiana) - abroad from 06/05/2019 to 06/26/2019 with
ISEP Exchange: Caen - Exchange Program at Université de Caen
I learned how to be on my own: it's not as scary as I thought and sometimes I look forward to it. I like to think my French got better, and I feel more confident when speaking to people I don't really know, both in French and in English.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
It was only a summer program, but I honestly liked it! It helped me feel comfortable with my basic language skills and helped me grow as a person. I would most definitely do it again! |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Very helpful, got me everything I needed and even helped me get to the right path. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I was pretty satisfied! I only wish that the screaming outside my window would have stopped at a more decent hour, but in their defense I lived in a city for about four weeks and the sun didn't seem to set until well after 10. |
| * Food: |
Very good, even with my gluten allergy! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt very integrated, as not many people spoke English so it forced me to use my French! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I did not personally experience this, but my one friend had a lot of health issues and she was able to receive the help she needed. |
| * Safety: |
I felt safe, even with everything going on. I was told how to act and how to stay safe, and when following those directions all was well! |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I would choose this program again because my University knows this program, and they have faith in it for good reason. I knew exactly what I was getting myself into, and it was very affordable! |
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) |
Pretty well, although I was completely out of money on my last day. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I spent about 20 euro a week, maybe more depending |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I worked two jobs the summer before going abroad, I saved everything and lived off of my tip money for a while, and then worked through college that entire year. If you want something work for it, because you can do it if you put your heart into it. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
They only spoke in French, so it helped a lot to catch on to the language. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 102 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Keep at it even if you feel silly. I would sometimes talk to myself in French, and that helped me become more confident with the language itself! Also, listening to songs in the native language of the country really helps! |
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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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I know that there were more campuses than I originally thought, as well as how the train system was. I also would have liked to know what type of suitcase would be able to withstand the ground of France, as mine was badly damaged during my journey from campus to the train station. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
