La vie es belle Past Review
By lrodriguezw (Mathematics, St. Mary's College of Maryland) - abroad from 08/24/2012 to 12/21/2012 with
Sciences Po: Paris - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I can live on my own and that I can manage my finances to a certain extent. It was definitely worth every penny and I would do it over again and again
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
lots of readings, less day-to-day work, more presentations than usual |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
hard to deal with, at times, mostly due to cultural differences |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
love where Iived, however, finding housing was hard since I was not given any sort of guidance from either institution |
| * Food: |
i bought my own food, ate mostly at home to save money. French food is delicious, especially the pastries. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
the French are not a very welcoming group. I had a hard time integrating with French students at my institution because the classes were mostly international students. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
no dangerous health issues. went to the pharmacy to get cold medicine. they were very helpful. |
| * Safety: |
Paris is a safe city, if you're not smart about your belongings. Like any city, need to be street smart and be aware of the "don't go" areas. |
| 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) |
Paris is an expensive city regardless if you keep yourself on a budget |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 35 euros |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | make a budget before hand and stick to it be aware of the cost of travel because that is when your money begins to go. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
French is useful in Paris, however, it is not necessary. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 100 level |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | don't be shy to speak it because that is truly the only way you will learn. |
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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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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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 wish I spoke better French, but there is nothing that I know now that I wish I knew other than the amount of money spent. |
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! |
