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By A student (Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/08/2018 to 05/21/2018 with
Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Paris
Made lovely non-French but European friends. I would feel comfortable pursuing graduate studies or working in France.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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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? |
No issues with healthcare. Can't comment. |
| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Amy Tondu is lovely and a great ally. Patrick Guédon was one of the best French professors I've ever had (and he has stiff competition). The program building is in a fashionable, central part of Paris. |
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) |
Paris is one of the most expensive cities in the world. Was not told before, but homestays were about double the price of dormitories, and it required a payment of many thousands of dollars within a week of receiving the invoice in the days following Christmas. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $200+ |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Apply for the money available to students from the French government, use the CROUS dining halls, picnic as much as possible when the weather permits (as opposed to eating in cafes), baguettes are less than €1.50. |
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 |
Authoritarian in their requirement to use the language. Lovely experience. |
| 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? | 300-level literature. |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
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? | 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? | Homestays are much more expensive than foyers, and linguistic immersion is still possible (and, in some ways, more likely) with Francophone hallmates. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Advanced French I |
| Course Department: | French |
| Instructor: | P. Guédon |
| Instruction Language: | French |
| Comments: | Patrick was an exceptional, challenging professor who endeared himself to the entire class. An important part of my--and many other people's--time abroad as it was enormously helpful in linguistic integration. |
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