The time of you life Past Review
By AA B (Business Administration, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo) for
USAC France: Pau - French Language and European Studies
It's been two years since I studied in Pau and it still feels like yesterday. I met some great people there, two of which I traveled around Europe with again after graduation. I added an international business focus to my major upon returning from abroad, and I am still actively learning French! :)
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
This is definitely a French immersion program. You speak French all day, everyday, and you are in classes with other students who love French!! If you come to class, participate, and the teachers can see that you are really making an effort you should expect a good grade. My French improved tremendously on all fronts. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Everything was well organized, and Ryan and Robina were very approachable and always willing to help with any question I had. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The dorm building was pretty old, but I loved how everyone had their own dorm, which was more like having your own studio. You definitely have to be outgoing in order to meet French students in the dorms, but they are very friendly if you try to talk to them. I had some American neighbors from my program and many French neighbors. I decided not to live with a host family because I wanted more independence and didn't want to have another mom. I prefer cooking for myself or going out to eat, and liked being so close from campus. A lot of the kids who lived with host families had a long commute to campus and were a little isolated from the social scene. I also loved having a boulangerie right next to the entrance of the dorm and being right next to the bus stop! |
| * Food: |
Some of the best food in France comes from Pau! There farmers markets every morning were incredible. Campus food was great (like eatting at a cafe). |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| 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 |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
I practiced speaking French with other French students that I met while living in the dorms, with my teachers, and with kids on the swim team. |
| 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? | The type of student who would enjoy this program is one that is passionate about the French language and wants to improve their language skills. If you're not interested in that at all, go to Paris. I personally wanted to be somewhere small enough where I could interact with locals and get to know the whole city. It's not some tiny little town; there are about 100,000 people there. I also wanted to go somewhere people would speak French to me. You can speak the most beautiful French in Paris and they will still speak to you in English. Studying in Pau introduced me to an entirely new region of France (the south-west! |
