Great time in Paris with ISA Past Review
By Alina O (Communication and Media Studies., Towson University) for
WorldStrides Study Abroad in Paris, France
Study abroad is a great experience! The amount of knowledge you gain from traveling, meeting new people, and, learning about yourself is incredible! My only advice is: Travel and Study as much as you can!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Workload was much less than in US. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
ISA office in Paris is small, but truly great. People are very helpful, very knowlegable, and supportive! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I stayed with a French lady and a few other international students. The location was safe, but a little bit far from the center of Paris: it was close enough to school, it was pretty far from the nightlife. The house of very big and very cold! |
| * Food: |
GREAT FOOD! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
ISA Paris had many field trips, all of which were nicely organized! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Paris is pretty safe, although it is wise to avoid walking alone at night. |
| 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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Since I stayed with a host family, most of the time I ate my breakfast and dinner at home. So 100 euros was my weekly budget for eating out, going to museums and movies (not so much drinking). |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | transportation: metro pass is about 60 euros a month! |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | French 315 |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
Most Parisians speak English, so it was somewhat hard to start speaking French. |
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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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? | Most people will enjoy Paris and Insistut Catholique de Paris! |
