Paris Far Beyond Its Clichés Past Review
By Katelyn D (Pre-medicine, Human Biology, French, The University of Texas at Austin) for
MICEFA: Paris - Study Abroad at Catholic University of Paris
It was the best thing I've ever done. I was initially skeptical about staying in college an extra year to be able to do it, but I will never reconsider the decision I made to go.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The contrast from American teaching styles alone was a very valuable experience. I liked that all my grades were determined by one final exam so I didn't constantly have homework throughout the semester yet still went to classes regularly to not get behind. Despite this difference in determining my final grade from my home university, I don't think that the workload was too different; it was just structured differently. Also, the amount of knowledge you are expected to have prior to taking a course in France is much higher. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Had a certain individual still been working for the abroad administration, I would have rated them much lower. My later experience with them was MUCH better than when I arrived after one employee was let go that was supposed to helping students. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in the Cité Universitaire. It was a great area of Paris and a great place to meet people. My only complaint was the bathroom situation, they were less than sanitary. I did however have my own shower and sink. |
| * Food: |
Portions are much smaller in France and I don't recommend going there if you are Vegan or Vegetarian. The French are very much into eating both meat and animal products. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Just everyday life was great. Having local friends really helps your experience as they invited me to many events and taught me many french customs. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| 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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | It was worth every dollar I paid, Paris just has a high cost of living. |
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? | I had taken fourth year college-level courses prior to departure. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I practiced French everyday for most of the day; I used it in everyday interactions, at school, at work and with local friends. I could also practice language with special language and conversation classes that MICEFA offered. |
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? | Just go for it, I promise you can't leave Paris without absolutely falling in love with it despite some difficult learning experiences you might encounter along the way. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
History of Paris (Histoire de Paris) |
| Course Department: | History |
| Instructor: | MICEFA |
| Instruction Language: | French |
| Comments: | This course was awesome. I learned basic French history and detailed history of Paris while also having a component where our professor took us on weekly tours to places talked about in class. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | TBA |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Currents in Psychology (Grands Courants de la Psychologie) |
| Course Department: | Psychology |
| Instructor: | Lecomte |
| Instruction Language: | French |
| Comments: | This course was a great intro into psychology is you are proficient enough in French. I was lucky that I have a biology background but still found the course interesting. The lectures can be a bit dry, but the class's text was very useful. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | TBA |
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Sociology of Religion (Sociologie des Religions) |
| Course Department: | Sociology |
| Instructor: | Bobineau |
| Instruction Language: | French |
| Comments: | This course was very interesting. I normally find philosophy boring but the way this course was laid out was very neat. The only thing was that taking notes for this class would have been impossible without the help of the French students, the teacher is very difficult so don't take this course unless you are very proficient in French and are willing to do much supplemental reading to catch up on the other students' previous studies in philosophy. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | TBA |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Contemporary International Relations (Relations Internationales Contemporaines) |
| Course Department: | Government |
| Instructor: | Dubernet |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This course was especially interesting for me because I don't have a strong background in government. What I really liked about the course is that it provided a very international approach, not focusing on any one region of the world. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | TBA |
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Sociology of Industry (Sociologie du Travail) |
| Course Department: | Sociology |
| Instructor: | Troadec |
| Instruction Language: | French |
| Comments: | Don't take this course unless you are very proficient in French and are willing to do much supplemental reading to catch up on the other students' previous studies in philosophy. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | TBA |
