Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

A semester chock-full of adventures in and around charming Aix! Past Review

By (Colby College) - abroad from 01/03/2017 to 05/14/2017 with

Wellesley College: Aix-en-Provence - Wellesley-in-Aix

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I drastically improved my French speaking and comprehension skills, and got to explore various corners of Aix, France, and Europe with incredible people who I know I'll be friends with for the rest of my life.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

The WIA program is so organized, tight-knit, and well-run that it's difficult to even imagine considering another study abroad program in Aix.

Finances

* 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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? The program tuition included a monthly food expenses stipend covering our lunch costs

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

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
How many hours per day did you use the language?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • How organized the directors and overall program were both pre-departure and throughout our time in Aix
  • The freedom and support to explore Aix and the region to the fullest, socially and culturally
  • My home stay experience
* What could be improved?
  • More evening access to Tavan (the WIA center)
  • More diverse course offerings by WIA
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew that my 'academic' experience would be much more cultural than academic. I still figured this out fairly early on in the semester, but it would've been nice to know that due to the professor's and university's high level of disorganization and lack of expectations, it's not worth it to stress yourself out academically. It's better to take every experience in and out of the classroom for what it is and to learn that way.