Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The French system is very different from the American one and as a biochemistry major studying policy and law, the difference was even greater to me. There were many aspects of the French educational system I did not understand, particularly the strict requirements for writing assignments and exposes. That said, it was still a good experience for me to learn how to abide by the guidelines and write in another manner. For me, the classes I had were on two sides of a spectrum. Some were really great while others lackluster and even one or two really terrible.

On-site administration of your program

This was one of the more disappointing aspects of my study abroad experience. I felt like the administration was not very accessibly and getting things done was often quite difficult. Everything took seemingly forever.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

24 rue des Bernardins; studio; found it myself online and was lucky to have friends in Paris check it out as well as be my guarantor, which is incredibly important in Paris; overall, I did not like the fact that there was no housing for students and the process was very frustrating and involved <br /><br /> I lived 2 minutes walking distance from Notre Dame, which was amazing in terms of location. The apartment was tiny but functional for one person. The rent was on the high side, but in France, you can apply for the CAF. Obtaining the apartment was very difficult and a huge hassle but could be considered a good learning experience.

I bought groceries, cooked, and sometimes at out or at the student dining halls. It wasn't amazing food but acceptable.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The program did very little outside of the welcome week. This is something that could be improved.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I was in the center of Paris; it was very safe. It all depends on what you do. I tried not to be home super late each night (after mid-night).

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

I didn't really need French, but it was useful to have. I wish that my class would have focused more on speaking rather than writing, however, I realized that I could get the speaking component from my internship so I didn't really feel like I missed much. At Sciences Po, you can take all of your classes in English. I choose to take the French foreign language class, and it was one of my best classes, well organized, engaging, and very informative not only from a language perspective but also in terms of French culture.

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• Apartment

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• N/A

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• International Students