Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Scary yet revitalizing September 01, 2023

By (Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/03/2023 to 07/01/2023 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Poitiers

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned to depend of myself more, it was definitely difficult and at times seemed impossible, but the experience was great.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Middlebury provided us with tutors which helped a lot when it was hard to understand or follow class, especially in the beginning stages of the program.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The Administration itself was not bad, but the way of interaction with students and lack of school representatives in Poitiers made it difficult when problems arose, whether they were mental health setbacks, academic problems, or overall support and guidance. That is the reason for my rating.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The housing situation was good, it allowed me to meet people from different backgrounds and make friends more easily, but when certain amenities (e.g. shower, toilet) needed repair, the administration was not receptive nor helpful for these challenges.

* Food:

I mostly cooked for myself, but the food served at the cafeterias was always good.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

After a few months of residence in France, I got to know my way around pretty well which allowed me to feel more at ease when interacting with others, this in turn helped me make friends and expand my cultural knowledge of the region, based on conversations with the locals and any activities that were occurring around the town.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

The telehealth option worked fine for me when going to a doctor's office was not an option. However, when it came to mental health care, the program itself lacked resources and staffing to deal with these common issues. UP was more helpful than my host university program.

* Safety:

I had no safety issues in Poitiers or anywhere I went for that matter, traveling within the town and to school was always safe and the people were always helpful and nice. There were a couple instances when intoxicated individuals around town engaged in conversation with us very aggressively, but it never got violent or truly unsafe.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

Poitiers was very secluded and there was very little to do there. It was expensive to do anything of substance and it kept me from exploring more in my time there

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? ~150 euros or more depending on what has happening around me
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Try to cook as much as possible.

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? Fluent
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? French 209
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? Engage with media in your target language. The more you hear everyday words used, the more they become a part of your vocabulary and the easier it gets to quickly and accurately process and speak the language.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
* 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?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • The people I met
  • The places I visited
  • Learning and Using French
* What could be improved?
  • Mental health resources and support
  • Overall guidance with administrative procedures
  • Pre-departure information needs to be more succinct and useful
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? The difference in the learning and teaching styles in French universities.

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:

Stabilité et Variabilité des Genomes
Course Department: BBMCG
Instructor:
Instruction Language: French
Comments: The professor was always open to questions and ready to help students when it came to us learning the material.
Credit Transfer Issues: Have not done this yet
Course Name/Rating:

Signalisation et Differenciation Cellulaire
Course Department: BBMCG
Instructor:
Instruction Language: French
Comments: The instructor relied heavily on images and articles to teach the class, which helped immensely in terms of us learning the material. There was one final exam and a presentation which helped with my oral production skills in French as well as getting accustomed to scientific language in French
Credit Transfer Issues: Haven't done that yet
Course Name/Rating:

Immunologie et Microbiologie
Course Department: BBMCG
Instructor:
Instruction Language: French
Comments: This was the course I was the least prepared for but the one I enjoyed the most, the case studies and labs were interesting and the oral presentation was not difficult, even with the language troubles in the beginning
Credit Transfer Issues: Haven't done that yet
Course Name/Rating:

France au XVIIe siècle
Course Department: History
Instructor:
Instruction Language: French
Comments: The instructor made class interesting every time. His lecturing style is always engaging and he was able to incorporate certain field trips around Poitiers and brought native snacks to class for us to try.
Credit Transfer Issues: I haven't done that yet
Course Name/Rating:

French B2
Course Department: French
Instructor:
Instruction Language: French
Comments: It more of a conversational class without much substance to it. There was one grade based on a final presentation of 5 minutes of oral production in French. I feel like I didn't learn much from this class, and did all of the language learning in other aspects of life in France. Bottom line is, I would have advanced the same in my knowledge of the French language without having taken this class.
Credit Transfer Issues: I haven't done that yet