Paris was okay if you are the type of person who would choose Paris. Past Review
By kedanielson (International Relations, The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 08/04/2014 to 12/20/2014 with
Sciences Po: Paris - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
It was fine for what it was.
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. |
Sciences Po is a great international relations university. Extremely rigorous and intense. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
AIFS was terrible and did not assist us with the housing issues we were experiencing and would not let us move or reimburse us. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Housing for 2 was inadequate for living with a roommate. There was mold in the apartment, normal usage routinely broke doorknobs, the dryer, the refrigerator. The location was great, but the value was over promised and under delivered, especially for our program fees. |
| * Food: |
We were only provided one meal a day for the first month. It was fine. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The French are hard to integrate with, but I did feel like I truly lived in Paris and was connected to daily Parisian life. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
My roommate and I needed birth control and our study abroad office again was of no assistance. We figured it out without them. |
| * Safety: |
Paris is fine before midnight. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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) |
It was okay, I had to get a job in Paris. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $150-$200 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | work. |
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 |
Everything was in english |
| 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? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | French 101 |
| 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? | Use Pimsleur |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | 0 |
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? | Paris is just like any other city in the world. |
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! |
