Montpellier - a French Dream Past Review
By Monica H (Film and Video, French, International Studies, Pennsylvania State University - University Park) for
University of Minnesota: Language & Culture in Southern France
absolutely. I made my best memories and I learned perfect French. It was cheaper than many study abroad programs (although still expensive for me)
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Université Paul Valery |
| 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. |
The quality of teaching at Université Paul Valery was not what I was used to at Penn State University. The teachers I had were mostly apathetic and cared little about the students and the school administrators were unorganized. However, the University of Minnesota program was extremely organized and helpful, and the people who worked at their office were charming. The course grades were also adjusted to the US system to reflect the difficulty of learning in French, so it was not hard to get good grades. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program is very organized and the people working there are helpful and understanding of problems. There are a lot of students, which makes it hard to get to know many of them, but you get to know the staff well because they are very attentive. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I was thankf |
| * Food: |
The food was incredible. It was amazing to eat homecooked 4 course meals every night. I will probably never eat that well again. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Although the program didn't offer many memorable outings, I bought a bike and made my own. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I arrived with a broken wrist and had a great physical therapist. I wouldn't recommend some of the other doctors I had there however. |
| 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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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I was able to learn a lot of French simply by going out drinking every single night of the semester. Living with a host family also helped a lot. Very few people spoke understandable English. When I arrived I could barely communicate with my host parents and 6 months later before I left I was mistaken for a french person. |
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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Don't bring a laptop. Don't just hang out with Americans. An independent student with a gift for languages would most benefit. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
The Libertines |
| Course Department: | |
| Instructor: | |
| Instruction Language: | French |
| Comments: | |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
