Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The workload was a joke. I was placed in Level B2.5. The workload for the Level C students seemed to be slightly bigger. The grading system is the typical French system out of 20 points.

On-site administration of your program

No one was specifically knowledgeable about the American system other than our coordinator. I personally never had any issues with the administration.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I stayed at the Crous Universite in the Mallarmé building. The professors jokingly referred to it as the prison with good reason. My room was a 2x9 meter room that had a desk, a bed, a sink, 2 chairs, a fridge, and a closet with some shelves. I lost electricity 3 times. It took them over 24 hours to send someone to fix it each time. Showers and toilets are shared on each floor. Toilets have no toilet seats and you provide your own toilet paper. The "kitchen" is a room with 2 hot plates and a sink. Be prepared to spend at least a half hour to do something as simple as boil water. Some people bought electric water heaters and I bought a toaster oven. These made our lives significantly easier. <br /><br /> See housing description

The food at the Resto-U's was very hit or miss. Sometimes it was awesome but other times you got stuck with mashed fish and potatoes. Not the best but for 2.90 euros it'll be the cheapest meal you'll find. They certainly give you a lot of food for that amount of money. If you actually like what they are serving, you won't walk away hungry.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Thanks to the friends I made and our field trips to Laussane and Strasbourg, I feel that I really enjoyed this experience.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Besançon is a very safe city. I never felt in danger even walking alone at night. I had no experience with bad health but other students that did were taken care of promptly and well.

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

I did not improve as much as I had expected, however I am extremely comfortable speaking French with native and non native speakers now. I understand most of what is said to me.

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• Dorm

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• International Students
• Americans
• Local Students

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• International Students