Traumatizing August 24, 2022
By A student (French, Middlebury College) - abroad from 08/31/2021 to 05/25/2022 with
Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Paris
France is a misogynistic country. French people are rude and arrogant. Their education is something I don't wish upon my worst enemy. Food is pretty good
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. |
It was rigorous in a very weird way. We were not explained what we had to do for class, and all the hard work was guessing what the professors at the Sorbonne wanted |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
It was good. Although ignored me when I explained I was having a difficult time at the Sorbonne |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
It was okay. Although the family just accommodated me because she wanted money. I lived in a small apartment far away from the city. I basically paid the exact same for a similar study abroad experience, and they put us in a luxurious apartment up in Neuilly Sur Seine with a big family. I don't understand why Middlebury has to send us to the lowest of the low. I saw a lot of other students who had dirty super far away apartments. |
| * Food: |
It was fine. My host was a penny pincher, so she would buy the cheapest food she could find. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Not at all. I only spoke with American people because Middlebury made no effort to integrate us to the French culture. I had to go out of my way using Tinder and other dating apps to find French people. Sometimes it felt like I had to sell sex to have a conversation in French |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
It was good. I had no problems with the health insurance. |
| * Safety: |
Far away, and she lived in a sketchy area |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
I had to get on tinder to make friends. I did not have enough money to go to a dance class or meet people more organically. I felt dependent on Tinder to make friends, and it made me suffer a lot |
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) |
It was okay. I survived. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $250 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | No money saving is possible in Paris. |
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 |
They encouraged us to use the language all the time |
| 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? | All of them were high level courses |
| 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 speak in English. Get on tinder to find French people because the program will only make fake connections (like the language buddy we were supposed to have that never happened). |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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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? | Going to the sorbonne is a waste of time. Making local friends is nearly impossible |
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! |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Greek art |
| Course Department: | Art History |
| Instructor: | n/a |
| Instruction Language: | French |
| Comments: | Awful. She did not explain what we had to do, and screamed at everyone for not doing a good job. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | no |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Phonetics |
| Course Department: | French |
| Instructor: | Middlebury French Instructor |
| Instruction Language: | French |
| Comments: | It was too early in the morning and pretty boring. There were some good points she made though. Her teaching is terrible. She is impersonable and not a good teacher overall |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | no |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Roi |
| Course Department: | French |
| Instructor: | Xavier Le Person |
| Instruction Language: | French |
| Comments: | I liked it. It was challenging and I got to experience the French learning method |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Grammar |
| Course Department: | French |
| Instructor: | Patrick |
| Instruction Language: | French |
| Comments: | It was challenging, and I felt I was actually learning |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | no |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Art History |
| Course Department: | Art History |
| Instructor: | Sabinne Berger |
| Instruction Language: | French |
| Comments: | It was good. I understood what I had to do towards the end |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | no |
