Paris Past Review

By (Art History, Criticism and Conservation., Trinity University) for

Wells College: Paris - Wells Center

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It was very worthwhile.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

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?

I would really really recommend living with a host family; it was an incredible experience. My program did a great job of matching me with the perfect family, where I had a lot of independence, but could also share meals with them and ask their opinion on anything. I don't feel like I missed out by doing this option instead of living in the dorms with my friends.

* Food:

Paris is delicious.

* 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

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? Paris is pretty expensive; every month, I probably spent about $500. And it didn't go as far as it would here because of the exchange rate not being in our favor. But it's just like any other city, there are ways to find bargains.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Think about transportation costs--everyone thinks Ryanair sounds great and it is always possible to get $12 flights to anywhere, but it ends up costing a lot more than you think, between extra baggage charges and then getting to the city center from the random far-away airport that ryanair always flies into.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? None
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Language acquisition improvement?

We were enrolled in a separate language school--apart from Wells College. It was a mix of people and students from all over the world, the only common language between us all was french. They were very accommodating to all levels of french speakers, and their primary focus was not on written assignments, but on verbal participation. It was a very effective program.

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

  • Americans