Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Classes were a joke- I never did work, never studied, and got almost straight A's. I felt like the other students on the program were not the same caliber as my classmates at Tufts.

On-site administration of your program

The program was completely disorganized, and I felt like I couldn't go to any of the administrators for help. When my home-stay was a disaster, the woman in charge of housing was annoyed and tried to convince me that it wasn't.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I was in a host family for 2 weeks with an elderly couple, but the husband went away on business the day I moved in, and from then on his wife made it very clear that she did NOT want me there and that it was her husband's idea to host an American student. She told me about how she hated Americans, and how dumb we all are, and when I finally moved out she told me I was a bad person, that I had no manners, and that I would regret my decision (this was all in French). I then moved into a "chambre-de-bonne" where I lived in a small room with a sink and mini-fridge, and used my "host family"'s apartment to shower. They were very nice, and I was much happier, but it was an awkward situation because I had to go through their son's bedroom (who was always home) to shower. Also, I was located OUTSIDE of Paris- and although it was only 5 metro stops away from NYU, it took at least an hour to get to the center of Paris. <br /><br /> I was happier in my second housing situation, but I felt completely isolated with no internet and a mile walk to the metro. Also, it was a completely residential part of town so there was nothing open past 10 pm.

For lunch I would go somewhere on rue de Passy (the street NYU was located on- also one of the most expensive in Paris) and for dinner and breakfast I usually had something from my room since I was able to keep food there. I would eat dinner with my host family once every couple of weeks, and my host mom was a fantastic cook.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I felt like I was attending an all-girls middle school. The program was about 150 people, 120 of which were girls, and they were all very high-maintenance and catty. NYU had one over-night trip to Strasbourg, which was very pretty, and we got to go to the ballet at the Opera House one night, which was amazing. They also hosted an election night party and invited students from Sciences Po, so we got to meet lots of French students.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

My friend had bed bugs in her bed in the apartment the NYU found for her, and the housing coordinator told her to find an exterminator, and didn't give her any help at all. Aside from that, I generally felt pretty safe- I didn't travel by myself at night for the most part, and my neighborhood was very safe.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Being in an English-speaking program in Paris was a waste of time- we never spoke the language, and I felt like my French didn't really improve.

Select all that apply

• Other

Select all that apply

• Americans