Lyon: Salope Past Review
By Zach S (French, Linguistics, Tulane University) for
Lyon II et L'Institut des Etudes Politique: Lyon - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
Very worthwhile. I made life-long friends, and improved my French exponentially
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The work load was about the same, although the difference in educational system was quite noticeable. Mainly, I had much less direct class contact as classes only met once a week, and there were no true assignments, but simply suggested reading. I found that I have to rely on self-motivation as there was almost no "busy work." The grading system in France is also very different. It is a 0-20 scale, 20 being the best. Instead starting at 100 and losing points for wrong answers (like in America), you start at 0 and gain points for correct answers. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Strengths- it accommodates foreign students as far as class selection is concerned. Regular students are limited to the courses within their discipline. The administration understands that the main goal of foreign students is to practice language, not learn new material, and they act accordingly |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived with a mix of international and local students. It was a group of dorms with one main bureaucratic office. The rooms were nice, although small. Biggest complaints- not nearly enough washers and dryers; 25 minute bus ride to main campus, 1:30 commute to secondary campus (outrageous) |
| * Food: |
I fed myself |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
traveling throughout europe was pretty sweet |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
nique la police |
| 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 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | around 150$ |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | unanticipated expenses: buying stuff when you first arrive like utensils, linens etc. spending advice: even if you don't like to, cook cook cook. it saves boatloads |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 300 |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I was directly enrolled in a French school, and lived in a dorm with French and international students. I used French 80 % of the time and English 20 % of the time. My advice would be to limit the number of people you speak to in english to 2 or 3 and try to make friends with native French speakers, so you will have no choice but to practice French. |
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 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? | Be prepared for the bureaucracy. Also, when you land in paris, go to the nearest photo booth and print like 20 passport photos; you need them for EVERYTHING |
