Frence: je t'aime. Past Review
By Eric B (Biology, General., University of Northern Iowa) for
University of Northern Iowa: Paris & Rennes - UNI Capstone in France
Yes, very much so. You have a whole new respect for that country while there and even your own country as there are many differences!
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. |
The workload doesn't seem too large. The one issue I've been having is that there is no rubric for our projects. We have suggestions, but no set rules we're to follow. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Professor Bumpus was great. We all got along with him, and while he did have a set itinerary on what he wanted us to do, he also allowed us to have some wiggle room for some additional things. Rather than visiting a museum which we heard wasn't good, we went to the catacombs and everybody loved it! He also gave us great freedom to roam the city during the day to dive into the French culture and visit things maybe not as well known. He did, of course, want us to check in with him while we were out. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The first week, we stayed in Rennes. My family spoke very little English while i spoke very little French. It was very difficult to have a conversation with them, especially the first couple of days. I wish I would've learned basic conversational French to help me with the host family, and also when ordering from the menu at restaurants. |
| * Food: |
Out of all of the meals I had, only one was not good. This was my fault as I didn't hear the waiter tell me that it was "very strong", "very special", and "I wouldn't like it". |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
To know the French culture, you need to be out of the classroom and just jump in! This is what we did, and it was amazing! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
We were told about what to do and what not to do, and most everybody stayed quite safe during the entirety of the trip, with a little hiccup, but nothing big. |
| 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
| 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?
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? | LEARN FRENCH! At least just a little bit! |
