I Fell in Love with the City of Love! Past Review
By Meredith R (Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication., Illinois State University) for
Novancia Business School Paris: Direct Enrollment & Exchange
This program changed my life and really broadened my view of the world! I love the culture, the people, and the wonderful beautiful city of Paris! I will always take this experience with me where ever I go and it really gave me a sense of confidence knowing that I could travel to a city and feel comfortable with myself in a strange country.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I had an amazing educational experience while I was in Paris! I loved all of my professors and I really felt that I learned so much in such a short amount of time! All of our professors would encourage the whole class and would really made us feel like valued students!The workload was definitely manageable expect I felt that all of the final projects were all at once and I wished that they were somehow broken up more. Our entire class really felt that we bonded with all of our professors and that they took the time to get to know us on a more personal level then many of my professor at Illinois State do.I really can't say enough about this program and how it had changed my life for the better! I loved it and would do it again and again! |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The location of where we lived at was ideal and perfect! It was in a very nice part of Paris close to many great places. It was very safe because we had several codes to get into our building and we needed keys to be able to do so. Also the building was in a corridor and had gates in the front and the back which locked at a certain time at night which added an extra sense of security! The rooms were small but were fine to fit two people and especially because we were not even in the rooms very much! |
| * Food: |
Food places are everywhere you look! Many places are a little pricey but manageable, but you could always find cheaper places to grab a crepe or a kabob to eat! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
One of the classes we had was called Paris Redheric and our professor would take us around Paris and tell us the history behind all the places we went. Some of the places we went included: The Opera, Collect's Place, Victor Hugo's apartment, Place DesVouge, and the Louvre. Our program also arranged for us to go on the Sen river boat tour, a trip to Chartes France, and a trip to Versailles. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I was never sick during my trip but there were pharmacy's on almost every street and were very accessible. I always felt very safe in the city and at our student dorms. We needed keys and codes to be able to get into our dorms. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Just really manage your money and go into the trip having a budget planned out so that you don't over spend. Also, when buying souvenirs I would wait till you have seen and are more familiar with city so that you know what is out there and can have better judgement on what you buy. You should also keep in mind if you have enough space in your suitcases to bring back all of the stuff you buy. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Exchange |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Student who are open-minded and are willing to try and experience new things. Students who love learning and love exploring. |
