Immersed in the Culture of a Wealthy, Little Provencal Town Past Review
By A student (Religion and French, Wellesley College) - abroad from 08/20/2012 to 01/12/2013 with
Wellesley College: Aix-en-Provence - Wellesley-in-Aix
My French has improved so much. I would not be able to speak as proficiently had I not spent the semester abroad.
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. |
While classes were interesting, the lecture-only style of the course made it difficult to interact with professors or track one's progress. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Very helpful and knowledgable program administrators |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Enjoyed living with a host family |
| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
While I tended to mainly interact with American students, living with a host family definitely helped me feel more at home in France and helped me to experience the Provencal culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had to schedule a doctor's visit a month and a half in advance because of the doctor's availability, but the doctor I saw was friendly and helpful. I found the doctor on my own, but I'm sure my program would have helped me had I asked. |
| * 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) |
Buying food for myself in Aix wasn't to expensive, but traveling was something that was hard to budget for. I only had a stipend for a student living with a host family, but while traveling I had to support myself as if I were living on my own. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 100 euro |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Save up money for travel. It's expensive! Be sure to use the Cultural Stipend. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | FREN 211 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Practice speaking as often as possible. Reading French doesn't help as much as speaking it. |
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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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Make a budget before you leave! |
