An incredible journey of self discovery in a one of a kind place May 05, 2024

By A student (English, Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/02/2023 to 05/23/2023 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Paris

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

I know myself and how I want to structure my life better than ever before. I learned how to navigate a big city for the first time, I pushed myself daily, I saw so many incredible things and met some wonderful people. I wouldn't change anything about it. I completely matured.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	Great experience aside from the cancellation of classes at my host university due to retirement strikes. Not the fault of any institution though!
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	Incredible and attentive administration that planned incredible cultural events, knew all of us, and cared about all of us.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	A lovely host family that improved my French, allowed me to be independent yet experience some real assimilation I wouldn't have otherwise had access to. A family I will never forget.
* Food:	Very fortunate to have had a lovely and passionate cook as my host mother. That being said, I have no dietary restrictions and love to eat adventurously.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	Slightly regretful for not making more effort to make French friends my age aside from my host family. But the other American students at Middlebury in France were incredible and I did attempt to put myself out there at our host university before classes were cancelled.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	I did not experience any healthcare issues so I feel unable to comment on this.
* Safety:	I felt safe in my neighborhood walking alone at night and really appreciated the skills the Centre Madeline team taught us in orientation to prioritize safety.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes

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 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)	Paris is an expensive city. Because I ate with my host family, I was able to stick to this budget, but I spent more money than the budget on outside travel and eating out in the city. I had been saving for study abroad my whole life and was prepared to spend a lot of those savings. I recommend people have some savings or opt for the full host family meal plan before committing to study in an expensive city like paris.
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	100-150$ a week
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Cook for yourself, plan trips well in advance, take advantage of the free museums for study abroad students.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language? 0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language	Complete immersion
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 course at Middlebury
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?	Listen to it a lot and speak with friends

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Host Family
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Host Family
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Local Students Americans International Students
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?	Immersion Cultural activities Collaboration with other American exchange students
* What could be improved?	Better opportunities to connect to French students, put on by the school
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	Can't think of anything

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 Nearly Native or Trail Blazer Craving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.'

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Niveau Intermédiare Avancé
Course Department:	Centre Madeline
Instructor:	Patrick Guédon
Instruction Language:	Français
Comments:	Incredible teacher who was super engaging. Refined my French grammar to another level.
Credit Transfer Issues:	No

Course Name/Rating:	L'actrice comme personage romanesque
Course Department:	Centre Madeleine
Instructor:	Thibault Casagrande
Instruction Language:	French
Comments:	This course was interesting, but the longer format allowed some students to loose their focus and our discussion to suffer. Though I liked the readings and the material, I sometimes thought the actual class time could've been more engaging. I did get a chance to practice skills I would need in my host university classes though, like preparing exposés and writing French style papers.
Credit Transfer Issues:	No