Angers, France--a very beneficial year abroad! Past Review
By Kelli C (French Language and Literature., Truman State University) for
L'Universite Catholique de l'Ouest / Catholic University of the West: Angers - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
Absolutely! My study abroad experience was the best one so far during my academic career. Nothing can give you the same linguistic benefit as studying in a country that speaks the foreign language you are stuyding--nothing! Plus, it changes the way you look at global affairs, and even your own country.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The French grading system is completely different from the one used in the US. A passable grade is about 10-12 out of 20. Good is 13-14. and Very good is 15-16. It is VERY rare that you will ever get higher than 17, due to the fact that the French system is based on the concept that there is always something that can be improved in your work, therefore, you will never recieve 100%. There also seems to be less workload than in the US, but that is mainly because more work is done in the classroom. There was time set aside to practice certain exercises for almost each class period, instead of 100% lecture. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program gave me a sufficient amount of material in order manage on my own. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My building was situated about 10 minutes from downtown and 20 minutes from campus (by foot). Perfect location! A pillow and a few blankets were provided, but everything else needed to be provided by the residents. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Healthcare initially was expensive due to the fact that I do not have French healthcare coverage, however I was reimbursed later on through my host program's health coverage. There were no health issues in my host country. |
| 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? | I typically spent a little over 100 euros on food per month, so about 25 euors a week...however that only included groceries, not eating in a restaurant, which is more expensive. Also, the student cafeteria is a good option--at 3 euros, you get three dishes for lunch and water. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Always keep money aside!! Especially for medical reasons. |
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 1 |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
What surprised me the most was actually, no, not everyone spoke English. I imagine it would be easier to find english-speakers in Paris, but in Angers, it was actually quite rare that I ran across a French person who could speak english fluently enough to communicate. However, that's not necessarily the point. The point of studying abroad is to learn the host country's language, not insist that they speak your own. You need to know French to deal with everyday situations, for the most part. For certain students, I imagine it was difficult to find native speakers to practice the language with, due to the fact that the French students' classes and the foreign students' classes are not mixed together. However, I didn't have too much difficulty, thanks to my choice of housing. |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | If you are considering choosing the program and you are American, just know that there are A LOT of Americans that choose this option. In this sense, it is easy to isolate yourself with only Americans and not reap all the cultural benefits of the experience, and, consequently, not improve your French. It is for this reason that you must find some kind of contact with French people. A homestay can be a good option, but there are always instances where it provides little benefit, as I found out from fellow students, due to lack of interaction between the host family and the students. So I guess what I'm trying to say is integrate as best as you can in order to really experience the culture and improve your language skills! Don't remain solely with individuals from your own culture. |
