Paris: Enlightening Experiences in the City of Lights - Paris-Sorbonne University Past Review
By Kelsey P (ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE/LETTERS., The College of William and Mary) for
Sorbonne University: Paris - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I had the time of my life in Paris, and would regret it forever if I hadn't taken advantage of the opportunity to do it. I think that gaining any cultural awareness you can improves your ability to understand different perspectives and solve problems, and I would encourage college students to participate while they have the chance.
Personal Information
How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The academic educational experience I received at the Sorbonne during my study abroad in Paris was only surpassed by the cultural educational experience. After being placed in advanced language & civilization courses, I took general language and phonetics classes, art history, and 20th century literature. I truly enjoyed all of my professors, their teaching styles, and coursework and felt I learned a lot. |
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Our program directors were always helpful in sticky situations, knowledgeable, approachable, and took us on fantastic excursions around the country. |
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I loved our small Parisian flat - it was certainly large enough to accommodate me and my three roommates, but was very authentic and charming. We were in the center of the city, within walking distance to all major landmarks, classes, and anything else we needed (groceries, convenience stores, banks, laundry, nightlife, etc.) My three roommates and I had minimal problems living together and really enjoyed our experience. |
* Food: |
My apartment was located directly across the street from a large grocery store, so my roommates and I did much more cooking than eating out. Instead of living on campus and having to eat dining hall food, I was happy that we got to shop for groceries alongside Parisians and prepare our own meals. |
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Abroadco's study abroad programs include great excursions -- we visited the Normandy/Brittany region, Brussels, and Aix-en-Provence, and all were unbelievable. When you're in Europe, it's also very easy to hop on a train and travel to other European countries. My friends and I traveled to Spain, the Netherlands, and Greece. |
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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* Safety: |
I felt perfectly safe throughout my entire stay in Paris, but I know that if I had any safety-related incidents at any time, that the program directors were only a phone call away. I only had to visit a doctor once for a cold - the program's insurance covered it completely. |
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
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Language
* Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
Language acquisition improvement? |
I learned a ton from my general French language and phonetics courses -- especially the phonetics class, which really improved my pronunciation, resulting in many Parisians I encountered guessing that I was actually a native speaker. I found it difficult to practice speaking, however, since I was one of only two students in my program in the advanced level - the rest were Americans and Canadians at the very beginning levels of learning the language. |
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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Other Program Information
* 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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A Look Back
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I highly recommend studying in Paris through Abroadco. The administrative staff and program directors are extremely helpful as you prepare to participate and while you're abroad, and your educational experience will be the crème de la crème. |