c'est une vie qui doit vous plaire July 28, 2025
By A student (French, Politics, Scripps College) - abroad from 08/27/2024 to 05/16/2025 with
Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Paris
This was my first time being outside of the country, living in a big city, taking public transport regularly, etc, so I gained a great deal of new skills and independence. One of the strengths of the Middlebury program is that it does encourage its students to explore Paris/France independently.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The courses offered at the Middlebury center were far too easy, which I think is intended to temper the difficulty of the French university classes. The partner universities seem to vary in rigor as well, though your placement there is largely dependent on field of study. If you are looking for an academically rigorous experience, you will have to seek it out yourself. Middlebury does offer a good deal of academic support, especially in navigating French methodology. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The Middlebury program staff, Julie, Roxanne, Karima, and Amy are all wonderful and seem to care about their students' well-being. The program seems well-established, and staff coordinate well with the other organizations that the program is affiliated with- the local universities, homestay company, insurance, etc. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I had an amazing experience in my homestay. I would recommend a homestay over dorm/foyer accommodations due to the linguistic & cultural immersion. |
| * Food: |
It's easy to find good 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? |
I didn't have any health issues, but it was easy to get my flu shot. The program staff is available for help navigating the health insurance. |
| * Safety: |
I never felt unsafe in France. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
I did a year in Paris; if I did it over again, I would do my first semester in a different city in France where less English was spoken. I do still believe that Middlebury's program is the best one in 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) |
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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Paris is expensive, but cooking for yourself, opting for more homestay meals, and eating at the university-affiliated restaurants (CROUS) can help. As far as activities go, Middlebury often gave out free or reduced-price tickets for live performances, and almost all museums are free for students under 26. |
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 |
The program did what it could to encourage the use of French with a pretty strict language pledge (that wasn't very strongly enforced). Most students in my cohort spoke in English outside of the classroom. |
| 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? | Upper-level, thematic |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Speak it as much as possible, spend time reviewing grammar, and read. |
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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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? | The program itself will not ask very much of you, so you need to think critically about what you want to get out of the experience before you arrive. Also you only really need one pair of shoes. |
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! |
