Poitiers - my amazing and challenging experience in an underrated part of France Past Review

By A student (Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/04/2018 to 05/09/2018 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Poitiers

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

It was a challenging experience in pretty much all aspects, but most definitely worthwhile! Not only did I learn more of the language, I also learned more about life in France and living in a different country in general. I think that the experiences I had have given me a new perspective on the world as well as a renewed sense of confidence in myself.

Review Photos

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Poitiers Photo

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?
* Food:
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	The one hospital experience I had was very frustrating, mainly because of the extremely long wait time and also because dealing with the health insurance provided by Middlebury (more specifically, filing a claim/paying the expenses) has been very complicated. However, the program director was quite helpful throughout most of the process.
* Safety:	Overall, I felt pretty safe in Poitiers and I felt comfortable going places by myself. I only had about 3 safety related incidents that I can recall: 1) One morning when I used the laundromat, there was a drunk man camping out inside and while he didn't do anything to threaten me directly, his actions did make me feel very uncomfortable and concerned for my safety. 2) One day when I went out for an exploratory walk around nearby areas, a man approached me and started hitting on me, which made me feel very uncomfortable and unsafe especially since I couldn't really find a way to escape the situation 3) All throughout the semester, there were student protests going on, and while they weren't really violent or dangerous, they were still sometimes a cause for concern.
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)
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	It varied from week to week, but usually never more than 50 euros
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	- food from street vendors/little takeout places often provides really good food for a pretty good price - in terms of food on campus, it's all good, but you get more bang for your buck at the RUs than at the cafeterias - what you pay to get one sandwich or salad at the cafeteria gets you a full, decent quality hot meal at the RU complete with entree, plat principal, dessert and bread - sign up for the loyalty card at Monoprix - it's free to sign up and you can get good discounts - be innovative - instead of going out and buying stuff, some supplies you can make out of things you already have - save tupperware

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
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 0230
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?	- listen to music/radio programs in that language - if you like watching tv shows, find a French series that you like and watch with subtitles (in French) - spend time around French-speaking people... you don't necessarily have to speak, sometimes just hearing the language constantly helps a great deal - if you use Facebook, join the group created for students in whatever you're studying and read the comments/discussions

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Dorm
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Local Students International Students
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Local Students International Students
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?	Location
* What could be improved?	Give the students a bit more independence - continue providing the support, but without stifling us by constantly checking up on us
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	I don't really have an answer to this question... of course there are many things that would have been helpful to know about before having gone on this program, and it's easy to say that in hindsight after all the stressful experiences that came with not knowing all these things. But that's all part of the experience. What good is it if you go abroad knowing everything you think there is to know, having everything nicely laid out for you? What do you learn from that? I think that part of the whole experience is this idea of not knowing exactly what to do or how things work sometimes and having to figure it out on your own. And while that may make things more stressful, I think it makes the whole experience more rewarding. If I had known what I know now before having gone on this program, I probably would have had a completely different experience - that may be good, that may be bad, but the experience that I had has taught me so much and helped me to grow, and I wouldn't change a thing about it.

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 Linguist You 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!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Psychology of Work
Course Department:	Psychology
Instructor:	Pierre-Henri Francois
Instruction Language:	French
Comments:	- yes, the course was challenging, but not in a good way... it relied mainly on rote memorization of obscure facts and quotes presented in the PowerPoints - there were no field trips relevant to this course - the professor seemed to be very knowledgeable about the field - the style of the course doesn't provide many opportunities for student participation (aside from just showing up to class and taking notes), so I'd say I participated less than I would have at Midd for this reason - we were assessed with two online multiple choice tests
Credit Transfer Issues:	No

Course Name/Rating:	Ergonomic Psychology
Course Department:	Psychology
Instructor:	Nicolas Louveton
Instruction Language:	French
Comments:	- I wouldn't say I found it to be a very challenging course... it was pretty straightforward - there were no field trips relevant to this course - the professor seemed very knowledgeable about the field and well organized - the style of the course doesn't provide for much student participation (aside from showing up to class and taking notes), so for this reason I'd say I participated less than I would have for my classes at Middlebury - we were assessed with one final exam consisting of about 20 multiple choice questions
Credit Transfer Issues:	No

Course Name/Rating:	Social Psychology
Course Department:	Psychology
Instructor:	Stephane Jouffre, Leila Selimbegovic
Instruction Language:	French
Comments:	- it was challenging in the sense that there were a lot of studies and theories to know by heart - there were no relevant field trips offered for this course - the style of the course doesn't provide for much student participation (aside from showing up to class and taking notes), so for this reason I'd say I participated less than I would have for my classes at Middlebury - we were assessed with one final exam consisting of several short answer questions pertaining to one instructor's section of the course
Credit Transfer Issues:	No

Course Name/Rating:	Emotions
Course Department:	Psychology
Instructor:	Vicente Siobhan-Fredefond, Leila Selimbegovic, and others
Instruction Language:	French
Comments:	- it was challenging in the sense that there were a lot of different theories and studies to learn by heart - there were no relevant field trips offered for this course - the style of the course doesn't provide the opportunity for much student participation (aside from showing up to class and taking notes), so for this reason I'd say I participated less than I would have for my classes at Middlebury - we were assessed with one final exam consisting of several short answer questions pertaining to one of the four sections of the course
Credit Transfer Issues:	No

Course Name/Rating:	Psychology and Justice
Course Department:	Psychology
Instructor:	Amal Hachet and others
Instruction Language:	French
Comments:	- it was challenging in the sense that there was a lot of legal terminology and knowledge of the French legal system involved - there were no relevant field trips offered for this course - the style of the course doesn't provide the opportunity for much student participation (aside from showing up to class and taking notes), so for this reason I'd say I participated less than I would have for my classes at Middlebury - we were assessed with one final exam consisting of a single short-essay style question
Credit Transfer Issues:	No

Course Name/Rating:	Introduction to Linguistics and Human Sciences
Course Department:	Psychology
Instructor:	Elise Pelladeau, Francois Rigalleau
Instruction Language:	French
Comments:	- the first half of the course was challenging in the sense that it initially dealt with a very deep and complex topic (epistemology), and the second half of the course was challenging in the sense that it included a lot of technical terms - there were no relevant field trips offered for this course - the professors both seemed very knowledgeable and well-organized - the style of the course doesn't provide the opportunity for much student participation (aside from showing up to class and taking notes), so for this reason I'd say I participated less than I would have for my classes at Middlebury - we were assessed with one midterm exam consisting of one essay question and one final exam consisting of several short-answer questions.
Credit Transfer Issues:	No

Course Name/Rating:	France and the French in the 18th Century
Course Department:	History
Instructor:	Fabrice Vigier
Instruction Language:	French
Comments:	- it was challenging in the sense that there were a lot of dates and facts to remember and that it built upon a knowledge of French historical/cultural references that us as Americans probably do not already have - there were several field trips for the class - once to an old Jesuit church/school, once to the library where the University was founded - and the professor made reference to many local areas/historic areas in France that could visit on our own time - the teacher was very knowledgeable and well-prepared - the style of the course doesn't provide the opportunity for much student participation (aside from showing up to class and taking notes), so for this reason I'd say I participated less than I would have for my classes at Middlebury - I was given a different standard of assessment than the other students seeing as I was an American with a different educational background than all the other French students in the class, so I was assessed by one midterm exam consisting of several short-answer questions pertaining to what we learned in the discussion section of the class, and one final exam consisting of one essay question
Credit Transfer Issues:	No