Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Wow that just happened! Past Review

By (French Language and Literature., Western Washington University) - abroad from 01/06/2012 to 06/09/2012 with

ISEP Exchange: Chambéry - Exchange Program at Université de Savoie

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Definitely worthwhile. Learned about a completely different culture than what I'm used to. Opened my eyes to the world. Helped me accept people for who they are rather than judging them or trying to change them.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Learned a lot but courses were very intense and wasn't provided with adequate resources or help when registering for classes. Was so overloaded during the semester that I wasn't able to fully apply myself to each class and felt like there was too much I needed to know. Made it difficult to continue practing speaking when my brain was fried.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

My advisor/responsable was rarely available to answer questions. His assistant Laure Garnier was the only one who was willing to help even though she didn't know much about the school itself it seemed. The women in the office on campus were not helpful. They met with us once and when looking for classes, I emailed them, like they said and all she said back was that she's already answered that question during the meeting.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Loved the little apartments that were provided. Got very lucky with my roommate, who will be a lifelong friend of mine. Good location, however about a 20 min walk to the school or downtown area and not close to the other Erasmus students. Just the Americans.

* Food:

Food at the school was cheap and not bad for cafeteria food. But food overall delicious

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Not so much. Only felt that way because of my roommate who was from that area and from a patrimony history class I was taking.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Did not have any health issues.

* Safety:

Felt relatively safe however there were some sketchy people and the men were not afraid to do cat calls and say inappropriate things to the women. I also witnessed a few fights as well. Once it warmed up outside I made sure I wasn't walking alone once it got dark.

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)

It was pretty easy to not spend too much money on food. Food wasn't too expensive there and the meals at school were only 3 euro and were large portions. And the school provided a meal stipend for ISEP students, which we were already paying for, but was convenient to have money set aside for food expenses.

* Was housing included in your program cost? Yes
* Was food included in your program cost? No
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 40-50 euro
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Figure out a budget then follow that. When going grocery shopping, make sure to buy the store brand. It's all the same but a lot cheaper. Then just try to be smart about your money.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

The classes for the most part were just lecture based so all that was practiced was listening, which was helpful but not when in a conversation.

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Intermediate
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Advanced
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? 385
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? Speak in the language as much as possible. Speaking english will not help you. Getting into the mindset of the language is the best thing you can do for yourself. I cannot stress that enough.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • Made it easy to meet other Americans
  • Got me abroad
  • Paid for housing
* What could be improved?
  • Helping students more when arriving at the destination. Set up activities for all exchange students to participate in.
  • Helping students understand the educational system better when arriving. I felt really lost and was not given help.
  • Allowing students to choose where they live. There were several locations to choose from but this program chose for us.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? To not have expectations. To put myself out there more and meet people. Have a plan set up for what I'm going to learn, how I'm going to meet people and practice my foreign language, and where I want to travel and what I want to accomplish while abroad.