eye-opening January 30, 2026
By A student (French Language, Literature, Brandeis University) - abroad from 08/29/2025 to 12/19/2025 with
Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Paris
Independence and self-trust! Yes!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The two classes I took at Middlebury were not very rigorous, but differences in methodologies between the US and my local university were uncomfortably difficult. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Middlebury staff were kind but at times unhelpful. Course registration at Université Paris Cité was stressful and I didn't feel super supported by Middlebury during that process, although they were very emotionally accommodating when I felt overwhelmed. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Satisfactory. |
| * Food: |
LOVE |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I found it hard to make friends with locals but I did not feel ostracized. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I didn't have any health issues. |
| * Safety: |
Basic street smarts were enough to get by. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I appreciated the immersion aspect of the program and I probably would have faced similar issues in a different program. |
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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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 |
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| 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? | FREN 105 |
| 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? | I recommend living with a host family: I lived in a dorm and regret not choosing a host family. The people in my program who got to practice speaking with their host families saw much more progress than I did. |
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? | The student experience is VERY different. |
