An eye-opening experience! February 13, 2023
By A student (International and Global studies, Middlebury College) - abroad from 08/29/2022 to 12/15/2022 with
Sciences Po Bordeaux: Free Mover Program
I gained a lot of critical thinking skills, good friends. I became more open-minded and flexible, and I advanced greatly in language skills.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Overall, I had an amazing experience in Bordeaux, and at Sciences Po specifically. The academics were tough at first, but once I had settled in, I was able to follow easily and stay on top of my course work. It was not as intense as I had expected it to be which was great! |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Perla, the Middlebury student assistant, was super supportive, friendly and caring. She gave us a lot of helpful and guiding advice on how to navigate life at Sciences Po Bordeaux. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I loved my host family. They were super nice and caring. We never had any disagreements, and we always communicated with each other. |
| * Food: |
I also enjoyed the food especially what my host family cooked. I think I gained a lot of exposure to the European (and more specifically, the French) cuisine. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
It took a while to fully integrate given that it was my first time in France and Europe, but once I was fully settled in, I had the best time, and it was easy to navigate to different places and adapt. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I didn't experience any health issue, but I know that the health care system addresses health issues very well. |
| * Safety: |
Bordeaux was a super secure city in general, and my neighborhood as well. I had no worries walking around in the evening. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
It was a great chance for me to be immersed completely in a new environment, culture, and program. I would redo it. |
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) |
2.5 |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | about $100 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Eating at the campus restaurants is more money-efficient than going out to eat! |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| 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? | French 0233 |
| 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? | Really commit to the pledge if you want to advance with your language skills! |
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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| 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? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wished I was less anxious and more excited about the experience, because I had a great time there. |
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 LinguistYou 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: |
Institutions of the fifth republic |
| Course Department: | Political science |
| Instructor: | Carolina Cerda Guzman |
| Instruction Language: | French |
| Comments: | The course content was challenging given that it required having some context of the French political life. However, it was a very interesting course, and I learnt so much that I never would have learnt anywhere else. The professor was also really supportive to international students, and explained the concepts in details for all to understand. The teacher was very knowledgeable given that it was her area of expertise. I participated less in class than at Middlebury. At the end of the semester, we had to write a short paper to a specific prompt. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No. The course is already in Middlebury's catalog of study abroad schools |
