Past Review
By Laura C (Economics., Pennsylvania State University - Altoona) for
Penn State Altoona: Paris - Language and African American Music
It was the best time ever. It really made me want to consider a French major and also gave me a lot of stories that I could take home with me. It showed me that people can have fun no matter where they are in the world as long as you have fun people traveling with you.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
| The term and year this program took place: | Spring 2010 |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
It was nice to have challenges like finding what district we were in or talking to the french people. It was also nice not to have to take tests or classes and just be able to go and enjoy the french culture without worrying about time issues |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I liked that we had our together time and our free time. The leaders really trusted us to be smart responsible adults. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
It was okay. I mean it was a hostel, so the conditions were to be expected. We didn't spend much time in the hostel, so i believe it was the perfect setting. |
| * Food: |
It was very nice to have a mix between american food and french food because then there was much less culture shock and home sickness. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Everyone got along so well. We all had our little groups, but we seemed to be one big family. I loved going to the Fondue restaurant because we were really able to let loose and have fun. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
France really seemed to be a safe place and I was never really scared at all even walking around at night. Thankfully we never had to see how the health care system worked so that was actually a plus, but we all had adequate insurance that if we would have had trouble we would have been covered. |
| 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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 600 dollars got me through the trip. I bought alot of food and some drinks which probably put my total a little high. I bought a few things, but nothing really large. It was more just little souveniers for everyone at home. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Things are generally more expensive there. Make sure you are aware of the exchange rate and plan accordingly. |
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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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I needed to try to speak more French to the people around me. I relied too much on them speaking English |
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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | It is WELL worth the money. It really is a once in a lifetime and experience! |
