Growth Through Discomfort and Thrills Past Review
By A student (Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/03/2017 to 05/17/2017 with
Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Paris
I learned how to truly take care of myself, and how to thrive out of discomfort. It was absolutely worthwhile.
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. |
School was fairly rigorous, but most of the difficulty inherent in the experience was due to the language barrier. Classroom etiquette was also hard to grasp at first. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
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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: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I felt that the Middlebury program did the best it could to prepare us for a rigorous and difficult situation. Moving to a new country, with new surroundings, language, culture, academic norms, and more is not easy. Further, everyone copes with and experiences those challenges in different ways. Everything wasn't perfect, but we were enabled to grapple with the problems we encounter and make the best out of the truly special aspects of studying abroad. |
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? | $150 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Bread is really cheap and delicious in France. Eggs and veggies are good too. Restaurants near the university often offer deals to students. |
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 |
We were required to speak the language at all times. |
| 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? | 230 |
| 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? | Just jump in and give it a try. The French will appreciate that you are trying, which not everyone does, and will help you out if you need it. Don't allow them to switch immediately to english, as they often try to do to accommodate. |
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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| 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? |
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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? | I wish I knew that culture shock is culture shock, whether in a completely foreign place or in somewhere more familiar, like Paris. It's ok to feel that discomfort and to engage with it, but it will be there. |
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! |
