Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

France: You Get What You Make Of It Past Review

By (Public Policy Studies, St. Mary's College of Maryland) for

Sciences Po: Paris - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned a lot about French culture and I improved my confidence with using French.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Workload is manageable, grading system is different but not difficult to do well and Pass - which is all that is required by SMCM. Professors are not all PhD holders and many are not professional educators.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Many layers to bureaucracy, inconsistent and limited office hours, slow response times from administration officials

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

The food is incredible, ubiquitous, and can be found at all price levels.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Lectures, trip to the mosque, opportunities to travel in France and internationally arranged by SciPo.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

Paris is extremely safe and its health care system is very efficient, although not parallel with the US system and this can cause problems. I had trouble getting coverage from the emergency room trip I had but eventually I got it covered 100% by my HTH student insurance. If you anticipate using French coverage it is important to get a GP early on so they can refer you to specialists as needed.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Finances

* 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)

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Language acquisition improvement?

Live with a host family if the reason you are going to France is to learn and speak French.

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

* Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? Exchange

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Allowed me to study French but through the study of politics.
  • Paris is the greatest city in the world.
  • Student body is very politically active.
* What could be improved?
  • Bureaucracy of Sciences Po
  • More transparency as to grading
  • More consistent quality of education
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Students very interested in the French language as well as politics should apply to this program. If that isn't you, then this really isn't the program for you.