Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Learning and exploring in the multicultural context November 20, 2023

By (Economics, Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/01/2023 to 05/31/2023 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Paris

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It was definitely worthwhile.

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The overall experience was great; the strikes were annoying though.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Helpful and effective.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The student hotel was very nice.

* Food:

Food in the university dining hall was awful; I liked dining in restaurants and cooking by myself.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The overall experience was great; some French people were very mean though.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Doctors were not very accessible in Paris.

* Safety:

Strikes were bad. I also got stolen in the metro. I felt I had to pay extra attention every time I was out.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

I liked Paris.

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)

I didn't have any financial issue.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Hotel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • getting to explore Paris
  • getting to use French
  • getting to explore around Europe
* What could be improved?
  • no strike please
  • university dining hall
  • Can some French people be nicer?
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Paris is not as inclusive as I imagined.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

économie du travail
Course Department: ECON
Instructor: Marie-José Voisin
Instruction Language: French
Comments: It was quite challenging. I had to write close-book dissertations within limited time. The grading was harsh too.
Credit Transfer Issues: No.
Course Name/Rating:

banque et finance
Course Department: ECON
Instructor: Rudy Bouguelli
Instruction Language: French
Comments: It was quite challenging. The readings and problem sets were hard but I tried to participate in the TD every week. The materials were interesting.
Credit Transfer Issues: No.