Best City in the World August 03, 2022

By (Study Abroad, Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/03/2022 to 05/28/2022 with

Academic Studies Abroad: Study Abroad in Paris, France

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I loved Paris and I wouldn't study abroad anywhere else but this city. Every difficult experience was worth it. I especially loved all the museums I could access with my student ID, and I visited as many museums as possible. Paris is so beautiful and speaking French really made the city feel like home.

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? No

The academic stress was too heavy and took away from the study abroad experience at times.

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)

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

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
* 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? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • The staff/faculty at Middlebury were mostly very kind and supportive
  • The location, Paris is so rich in art/culture
  • I was encouraged to speak French
* What could be improved?
  • Orientation was way too long and unnecessary
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? The French university system is not reliable and you will have to do most of the work yourself. Pick easier classes.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you.
The Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Paintings and Poetry

Course Department:
Instructor: Degeneve
Instruction Language: French
Comments: The professor was great and the class was very interesting. Best part of my experience.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Advanced French

Course Department:
Instructor: Guedon
Instruction Language: French
Comments: The professor marked grades too harshly for the work we did and I didn't feel like the tasks were productive.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Literature and Psychoanalysis

Course Department:
Instructor: Beranteau
Instruction Language: French
Comments: The course was very interesting but it could be difficult to follow since there were no written notes or instructions.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Poetry (lecture de la poesie)

Course Department:
Instructor: Zimmerman
Instruction Language:
Comments: This course was terrible. The notes were all in a word document and there was no instruction. The professor was rude and negligent.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Van Gogh (regards sur VG)

Course Department:
Instructor: Froidefond
Instruction Language: French
Comments: The course had to be moved online but Im sure it would have been more enjoyable if we could have been in person. The topics were very interesting.
Credit Transfer Issues: