Learning how to adapt and have fun in Bordeaux October 12, 2023

By A student (Environmental Policy, Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/02/2023 to 05/12/2023 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Bordeaux

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

I gained a lot of understanding and appreciation for foreign cultures, particularly French of course but also others of students I met and places I travelled. I felt that my global competency and citizenship increased, and I learned to be more adaptable and resilient as well as independent.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?
* Food:
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:	I felt physically very safe, but I did catch a pickpocket trying to steal from me once.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes I greatly enjoyed my program. The schoolwork was not super difficult but generally interesting, and I made some great friends, saw some great places and sites, and experienced what I believe to be a very authentic French life.

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)
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	100
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Shop at the markets! They have very good prices for excellent quality.

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
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?	330
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?	Don't be afraid to ask questions and make mistakes! Students and host families want to help you!

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Host Family
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Host Family
* 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?	host family French language travelling
* What could be improved?	pre-departue communication additional programming increased independence
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	I wish I was more willing to try to speak French even if I wasn't confident. It took a little while but I eventually learned to be comfortable making mistakes or being misunderstood.

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 Nearly Native or Trail Blazer Craving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.'

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Introduction to Gender Studies
Course Department:	Political Science
Instructor:	Elisabeth Hofmann, Marion Paoletti
Instruction Language:	French
Comments:	I greatly enjoyed the content of this class. However, I did not like the final exam, which was a 10 minute oral exam with just one very specific prompt and that was the only grade for the year, which was stressful and not a great opportunity to show what we knew.
Credit Transfer Issues:	I had no issue.

Course Name/Rating:	Power, Economy, and Society in Modern France
Course Department:	unaffiliated (Middlebury course)
Instructor:	Stephanie Lachaud
Instruction Language:	French
Comments:	It was a challenging course, but it was very enriching and interesting. We had a final exam, a presentation, and paper, and they were fairly graded.
Credit Transfer Issues:	I had no issues.

Course Name/Rating:	French Language
Course Department:	French
Instructor:	Adrien Barbosa
Instruction Language:	French
Comments:	This was a very fun class, and we learned some useful everyday phrases, but I wasn't challenged. We had a presentation for exams.
Credit Transfer Issues:	I had no issue.

Course Name/Rating:	General Culture
Course Department:	French
Instructor:	Mateusz Panko
Instruction Language:	French
Comments:	This was one of my favorite courses. We had a few written exams and a big presentation. It was very student driven and was interesting to see the ideas of others.
Credit Transfer Issues:	I had no issues.

Course Name/Rating:	Social Sciences
Course Department:	Economics
Instructor:	Vincent Tiberj
Instruction Language:	French
Comments:	This course had some interesting work with data, but it was fairly disorganized. The software we used was also rather odd and not widely used. We had mostly projects and problem sets to be graded on.
Credit Transfer Issues:	I had no issues.

Course Name/Rating:	Economic Stakes in Africa
Course Department:	Economics
Instructor:	Jean-Philippe Berrou
Instruction Language:	French
Comments:	This was a fairly interesting course to learn about contemporary African economies. The final was a report on a country of our choosing. I would have liked if there was slightly more content or concrete work.
Credit Transfer Issues:	I had no issue.

Course Name/Rating:	State and Government in Africa
Course Department:	Political Science
Instructor:	Rozenn Nakanabo
Instruction Language:	French
Comments:	I liked this class. We learned a lot about pre and post colonial African government and I felt challenged. We had one final written exam.
Credit Transfer Issues:	I had no issue.