Paris Gris keeps getting better with the weather (Spring 2025) August 05, 2025

By A student (French, Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/05/2025 to 05/16/2025 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Paris

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

What I learned from this experience cannot be described in a tiny box on this form. If I had to sum it up, my dreams became my reality and there were a lot of challenges and personal growth along the way. It was not the best most fun time I've ever had, studying abroad is still living real life, but it expanded my world in ways I never could have imagined and for that reason there is no doubt that it was worthwhile.

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.	Academics were very rigorous with consistent coursework and long class periods (2-3 hours), particularly the dual enrollment courses at Université Paris-Cité
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	I think that the orientation could have been much stronger and more oriented towards helping students get to know one another to set up a strong support system in the beginning of the year. I wish that the program had had more events, particularly at the beginning, as it was a very isolating experience and it would have been nice to have more support even just in the first month.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	I had some difficulties with my host family which made the living situation the most stressful aspect of living abroad. They were a bit hot and cold when it came to their behavior towards me, which made it a bit of a tenuous situation.
* Food:	All I have to say about the food in Paris: parfait.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	I felt fairly well integrated into the local culture, particularly towards the end of the semester when there were more cultural events happening in and around the city, and I was able to spend more time outside in public spaces. Also, my interactions with Parisians as well as local spots like the boulangerie and the library helped me feel more integrated.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	I had only one experience with healthcare. It was very easily accessible and I recieved a lot of support from the Middlebury Center, although the healthcare itself was not very useful. No vaccines or prevalent health issues in my host city.
* Safety:
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes I would say yes, because I did not have another experience and therefore can't know what would have been different or better elsewhere. I had the experience I had and that is why I am where I am today. That being said, there were multiple times throughout the semester where I wished I had picked a different program because of the many frustrations I had with the nearly complete lack of support in a huge city in a foreign country. I don't think this is program is for everyone. If you are looking for a social abroad experience with a lot of program support and events, this program is not for you. This is something I really wish I'd known in advance, but I grew and learned from my experience anyway.

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)	It was a definite adjustment to having to budget for more expenses while living abroad, but I was able to live on a budget that was reasonable for me.
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	100-300
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Experiences over things! If you've saved for this experience then spend the money! It is totally worth it to try new restaurants in your area and go to cultural events even if they cost a bit of money. It is important to remember that abroad it is also much less expensive for things like plays and food.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	Yes

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?	Friendly and kind staff Centre Madeleine was a beautiful building Location: Paris
* What could be improved?	Academic support Orientation program (more ice breakers, more events at the beginning, greater opportunity to meet people) Host family experience (better preparation for what living in a host family is like and support/tools for how to deal with issues when the arise)
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	I wish I had known that my host family was only doing the program for a little extra revenue. Middlebury created unrealistic expectations that living with a host family would be some kind of magical experience where they become like second parents to you and you feel that their home is nearly yours. This was not at all the case for me, and it was difficult to reconcile what I had been marketed with the reality I was living in. I also wish I had known more about the French University system as it is drastically different from the US University system which presented a big learning curve at the beginning of the semester with completely different assignments, class formats, etc. It would have been helpful to have learned more about how things worked to have a better handle on what to expect.

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 Avid Adventurer The wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Ecrire la mode
Course Department:	Litterature
Instructor:
Instruction Language:	French
Comments:	Field trips were great, course materials could have been better and more cohesive. The course lacked a central and guiding thread and therefore lacked focus and depth.
Credit Transfer Issues:	NA

Course Name/Rating:	Advanced Grammar
Course Department:	French
Instructor:	Lara Iannetta
Instruction Language:	French
Comments:	I did learn some interesting things, but overall feel that it could have been more engaging and relevant to the real world and to real French speakers. Given the location of being in Paris I think that this course underutilized what the city has to offer and I would have loved to have had the opportunity to speak with real people outside for this course in a guided way or engage in some way with the world. This was a course I could have taken at any American university.
Credit Transfer Issues: