Attention à la marche en descendant du train. Past Review

By (Political Science And French, Villanova) - abroad from 01/12/2013 to 05/31/2013 with

CUPA: Paris - Study Abroad in Paris

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I'm so much more confident! I have such a higher self esteem! I've got such street smarts now! My French is great! I'm even getting to the point where I can leave the news on in the background while I do my makeup and not really listen but I can still understand! I'm so much more independent! For context, I couldn't even talk to anyone (both from language difficulty and extreme shyness) the first day. It was the most rewarding few months of my life.

Review Photos

CUPA: Paris Photo CUPA: Paris Photo CUPA: Paris Photo CUPA: Paris Photo CUPA: Paris Photo

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I was terrified to take all my classes in French at a French university but it was fantastic. CUPA's got this huge list of previous student evaluations so that you can make sure you're picking a class with a teacher who speaks clearly, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The program offices are in a fantastic and convenient part of Paris, literally right next to the Luxembourg Gardens. The staff was always friendly and it felt like a home-away-from-home(-away-from-home...). They were always incredibly helpful and willing to help with anything-- course selection, language problems, or even just if you'd like someone to chat with.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I opted to stay with a host family and was initially placed with a family that I was totally incompatible with. Thankfully, this became evident before I left the US, and as soon as I notified CUPA that I was uncomfortable, I was switched into an absolutely perfect family who I love and will continue to stay in contact with. They make you fill out a fairly detailed form to see which family you'd be most compatible with, so I was a little surprised that the initial family was as off as they were, but it ended up being that there were just a lot of people in my semester and not quite enough families. In any event, I give my program a world of credit-- they found me a new host family within 24 hours when they were already under a lot of stress (they had to do this while dealing with all of the fall students' final exam paperwork.) And again-- loved my host family!

* Food:

With a host family, you're entitled to 5 meals a week-- I believe breakfast and dinner. My host family acted like a regular family-- if I was there, they fed me. They were eager to show me authentic French recipes and it was all SO DELICIOUS.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

As I said, my host family was great. They were really into getting me integrated into the culture! CUPA was also HUGE on cultural events: you're entitled to a bunch of tickets to the ballet, opera, you play petanque, you go on field trips, it's great. The only thing is that beyond the Parisians I already knew before my arrival, I didn't meet too many other French people. I heard that this was a problem particular to my university (Sorbonne Nouvelle), where the students would go to class and go home and didn't really socialize-- at the other universities that you can select with this program, like Saint Denis, CUPA students told me they were a bit more open.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I didn't have any serious health problems, nothing beyond a cold and contact solution that had been confiscated in airport security. (Long story... the security officer demanded a prescription for it. Not worth the trouble.) But my program was always able to point me in the direction of the nearest pharmacy. They also provided us a list of English-speaking hospitals, their phone numbers, and emergency contacts.

* Safety:

Paris is a big city. I didn't personally have problems with pickpockets but there were people in my program who did. Just-- don't keep stuff in your pockets. It's not worth it. It was pretty cold most of the semester and I had interior pockets on my coat-- Don't. Leave things. Where they can be taken. If you have a purse, make sure it's zipped and in front of you. Across-the-body bags recommended. Personally, I found that street harassment was much moer socially acceptable in Paris than I was used to at home. If you're a girl, try to not be by yourself. It's going to sound awful, but just-- even during the daytime, even when you're wearing regular jeans and a huge puffy coat and a massive scarf, you will get comments that will make you uncomfortable. Don't feel rude for ignoring people on the street. Some guy asks you a question? He can ask someone else. Keep going. Don't make eye contact. It's not worth it. This goes double at night. Really, truly, I don't want to scare you and I'm still glad I went, but you've got to be observant. Unfortunately, I found that girls have to take extra precautions. (This was one thing that I loved about a host family-- once, I was walking my sister and her boyfriend (who were visiting) back to the metro at around 10 PM, and we ran into some guys who tried to cause trouble. I called my host dad and he literally SPRINTED to the rescue.) So, to summarize: everyone, don't keep things in your pockets. Keep all bags closed and items out of sight. Be especially careful when the metro doors are about to close because apparently that's when, if you've just got your phone on your lap, someone can just grab it and run out and the doors close and you're stuck. Girls, be careful. It doesn't matter what you wear or when you're out. (Not that sexual harassment is EVER your fault, but it happened more frequently in unexpected contexts here.) Use the buddy system.

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 expensive. Keep a budget and stick to it-- I mostly found that what people had trouble with were weekend/travel budgets. You want to have fun and get the best of your time there, but you also don't want to accidentally spend 80 euros on drinks in one night, do you? (Didn't happen to me, but I heard stories.) Basically, know what you want to spend ahead of time. Unexpected expenses/impulse expenses are what got most people.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 80 euros/week should be more than enough. That's 7 euros/day on lunch (it's definitely doable to do better than that-- a lot of lunch places have combos. The best one I saw was a savory crepe, a sweet crepe, and a drink for 5 euros). That leaves fifteen euros for Saturday and Sunday, including meals you don't eat with your host family and stuff to do at night.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Again, know what you want to spend ahead of time. And don't be afraid to tell people you can't do something. If they're like "let's go out to dinner to this place where main courses are like 20 euros per plate" don't be afraid to suggest "yeah but what about that great tunisian place we haven't tried that looks to be like 7 euros per plate?". Even if people aren't acting like it, money's usually at the back of everyone's minds, since study abroad is so expensive.

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

We weren't allowed to speak English in the program building.

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Advanced
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Fluent
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? I could read and understand pretty well, but piecing together the language-- the vocab, the grammar rules-- for writing and speaking, I had a whole lot of difficulty with that.
How many hours per day did you use the language? 10+
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? Don't speak English!!!!

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
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?
  • The program really sets you up! You get a metro card and ID cards that let you into a lot of sites and museums for FREE. How tempting is it to go to the Louvre literally WHENEVER you want and cut the line?!
  • PARIS
  • Host family
* What could be improved?
  • I mean, it's not even something the program can improve-- I just wish I'd felt safer walking around.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Bring those ankle boots. French people love ankle boots.

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 Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!