Life-changing but imperfect. August 09, 2024

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I was not able to select the majority of my classes, and thus was taking courses I was not interested in and which I did not feel were valuable to my education (namely the Middlebury course on History of the Family). The French academic system was also quite different (one meeting per week, full lecture, no homework, no readings) and academic grading was at times completely unclear and at other times based entirely on a single group project which can be very challenging when you are working with people you do not know in a foreign language. I spoke with other students in my program and they too were often unsatisfied by the academic aspect of the experience.

On-site administration of your program

There was little to no on-site Middlebury administration presence in Bordeaux. I was particularly unsatisfied with health services, from which I would receive copy and paste responses that could have been automated. Additionally, health services failed to inform our GeoBlue Insurance company that there would even be students in Bordeaux, which I consider gross negligence and which limited my ability to locate doctors within my insurance network. Additionally, the first week of our program in which we focused on administrative presentations was brutal. We were made to get up far too early, considering jetlag, such that I barely slept all week and often in the name of inane administrative info-sessions during which I could not concentrate anyways. The administration must consider student health more during that period.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I was relatively satisfied with my living arrangements, however I know others who were very much not satisfied.

Food is very expensive, however I was generally satisfied by my host family's efforts to supply me with food. Food was however my primary expense during study abroad, I think students would love some program to assist with food expenses, but I understand if that's not a priority.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I was constantly reminded that I was an American. This was a favorite topic of professors, host families, and anyone I encountered in the city. So I would not say I felt integrated, but I got to experience and learn about local culture a fair bit.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

While I was unsatisfied with the health administration of our program, as I have mentioned above. The French healthcare system is quite solid and difficult to complain about. I only wish that more information was provided about how the system is different from in the US, and more accessible. In the US for many families going to the doctor's is an expensive last resort. In France that was not the case, and I would have been more prepared to use the French healthcare system if I had been informed about that earlier.

The city felt perfectly safe, except for the feeling that if I lost battery on my phone or lost service at night I would be lost in the city and die. It should be recommended that students purchase portable chargers for their phones.

None of my favorite parts of my experience were institutional. It was the friends in my program I made there that I enjoyed the most, there is no institutional or systemic part of the program that I felt could not be improved or replaced.

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

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

In Bordeaux, our group took the language pledge quite seriously. My host family and administration were fairly good about that.

Select all that apply

• Host Family

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• Americans
• Host Family

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

• Making friends with my fellow study abroad students
• Amazing cultural experiences: galas, museums, etc.
• Improving my french.

• We could use an academic safety net such as a pass/fail option given the bizarre and often arbitrary nature of the grading
• I was very stressed about money the whole time, financial support for travel or food would be welcome
• I would like more freedom to choose my own academic courses

The Academic or Linguist