La vie est belle September 13, 2023

By (Politics, Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/03/2023 to 05/16/2023 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Paris

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Travel experience.

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.

French professors are lecture-based and unmotivated teachers.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Extremely bad housing situation, with hostile hosts. They never cleaned their cats' litterbox and the entire apartment reeked of cat pee. They also never fed me breakfast and rarely gave me food for dinner.

* Food:

Little to no meal preparation.

* 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

It did not have great teachers.

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? $1,000
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Don't eat out that much.

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? Intermediate
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? French 225
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? N/A

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?
  • Friends
  • Travel
  • Food
* What could be improved?
  • Support system
  • Host Family reviews
  • Connections with local students
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Host families are not the best living situation.

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!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Actress as a Novel Character

Course Department: SOC
Instructor: Casagrande
Instruction Language: French
Comments: N/A
Credit Transfer Issues: Have not yet transferred