HUMN II Paris Past Review
By Stephanie K (Childhood Education with SPED, SUNY - College at Geneseo) for
SUNY Geneseo: Paris - Humanities Course
Yes, I loved it. Not for the class itself, but for the time I spent sightseeing, on the excursions, and traveling with my new friends. I got to experience 5 countries in 4 weeks! Incredible.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Our tests were very specific and the grading was very particular but the layout of the class structure was not. It was very deceiving to have a class that consisted of mainly discussions, that weren't always relevant, ending in exams that were extremely harshly graded after only minimal reviews of information from excursions. It was very frustrating trying to study for a test when you felt you really hadn't learned all that much to begin with. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I felt so unprepared for exams because I did not know what to expect. Little was accomplished in classes since it was mainly opinionated discussion forums that took place. As far as the excursions I had no idea what to review and could have spent days pouring over the information from each individual sight in order to recall everything. Was not pleased with that aspect. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Construction was obnoxious. Elevator service was slow and often out of service. People in the Hostel were unhelpful, maids were rude, and groups of young students from different places were always running up and down the halls, slamming doors, and screaming to all hours of the night. |
| * Food: |
It was not very good and the same things were often served for dinner that had been served for lunch that day. A little disconcerting. The meal plan has wayyyy too much money allotted for the time we're there as well. Especially if you are planning on doing any weekend trips on your own or want to actually go out and experience some REAL french cuisine and culture. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
LOVED Versailles and the World War I and II excursions. So interesting and Pierre-Jean was so helpful and knowledgeable about it all. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Just be smart. You're in a foreign place and its obvious when your lost so just don't make yourself an easy target for pickpockets and such. Keep your bag close to your body if your unsure. Don't make eye contact thats a cue for people to come up and talk to you in Europe. |
| 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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Did not spend a whole lot on food because I was too concerned with trying to spend all the prepaid meal plan money (& I still lost a ton in the end). If you buy the pack of metro tickets its cheaper, and toward the end we just stared splitting a pack with a friend. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Always convert it to dollars before you buy and price shop for souvenirs. The souvenir shops all have the same things and prices are often considerably lower in different areas of the city. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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