6 months of French Past Review
By Tyree Cowell (University of Michigan - Ann Arbor) - abroad from 01/03/2017 to 05/12/2017 with
Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Paris
I definitely gained a lot of independence and self-confidence after learning how to navigate a foreign country in a foreign language alone.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Depended on which classes/how many you were required to take, but the fact that all the classes were taught in French and that some were in actual French universities made them very difficult. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Everyone in the program administration was extremely nice, welcoming and helpful |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host mom was very helpful and she made incredible food. The apartment was very small but I had my own room. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Most people in Paris speak English and they generally assume that Americans don't speak French so it was somewhat difficult to practice language with the locals. However, they love to talk about and show you French culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Even though I had access to free health care if I made an appointment with a specific doctor, I decided to go to a walk-in clinic. Without any form of social security or health care I was seen the same day, by a doctor that spoke English. The appointment only cost about 20 euros, and the two prescriptions my doctor wrote me only cost about 5 euros (which is incredible). |
| * Safety: |
I never felt unsafe, however I would not recommend walking around the city alone at night. |
| 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) |
food was very, very expensive, as were most attractions. however most museums were free to students and my program organized many events that we didn't have to pay for. if you wanted to travel in europe though that was also very expensive. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 40 euros? |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | buy food from grocery stores rather than restaurants whenever possible, try to go home when the metro is still open so you don't get stuck taking a cab. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
it was a fully immersive program, speaking English around other people in the program was against the rules and could result in being sent home |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 300 level french course |
| 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? | Practice listening to the language, start watching movies/Netflix in French with subtitles, review some helpful vocab. The rest will come to you as you go along, nothing to be too stressed about. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 0 |
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? | Which classes would count for credit at my home institution and which would not |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
