Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Mixed experience but worth it Past Review

By (Art History, Criticism and Conservation., Trinity University) - abroad from 01/12/2012 to 05/25/2012 with

Wells College: Paris - Wells Center

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned that all cultures have good and bad; one culture isn't "better" than another, although different people can of course fit into different cultures better. I also learned it's quite easy to gain weight eating bread and cheese... ;)

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.

Most of my classes were wonderful; one of them (history of fashion; don't take it) was horrible.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

It's a small program; they just don't have many resources, although they certainly did the best they could.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I stayed in a dorm, which was a tad spartan but fine; those staying in homestay situations had extremely mixed experiences. Some of the host families simply didn't live up to their side of the bargain - not providing food, etc. as they were contractually obligated to.

* Food:

It's Paris, the food is wonderful. Expensive but wonderful.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Parisians are interesting people, but the culture isn't really what you'd call friendly the same way it is in Spain or Italy, for example. Having some level of French helps enormously and

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

My program really didn't address this issue, although the international health care policy Trinity requires was excellent. The program itself gave you an address for a doctor, which is great, but in an emergency situation in the middle of the night (yes, that happened to me) it doesn't do squat.

* Safety:

Paris isn't an unsafe location. Even pickpocketing isn't that big a problem as long as you're careful and don't do anything stupid, as with any large city.

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

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)

Paris is ridiculously expensive. If money isn't an issue or you're studying something you can only really study in Paris, go for it; otherwise I would recommend somewhere else.

* Was housing included in your program cost? Yes
* Was food included in your program cost? Yes
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? BUDGET BUDGET BUDGET.

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? Beginner
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Intermediate
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? Intermediate-1
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? Watch movies and listen to music to get your ear accustomed to hearing it, even if you have to use subtitles. But the most important thing is to just take classes.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Program leaders (Anne and Charlotte) were a good resource
  • Integrated living in Paris into the classes (through museum visits, walks, etc) and program trips
  • Program trips (to Normandy and Fontainebleau) were amazing; I wish there had been more than two though
* What could be improved?
  • Host family assignments were horrible - an asthmatic girl in a house with a chain smoker, etc.
  • Classes and professors were of mixed quality
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I'd known that it is TINY. It's very good for its size (13 students my semester) but it just doesn't have many resources because it's so small. The program itself isn't that great, but if you want to study art history (or studio art or dance) in Paris and you aren't fluent, it's really your only option.