A Taste of Paris Past Review
By vanessa a (French & Francophone Studies, Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/06/2016 to 05/08/2016 with
Academic Programs Abroad (APA): Paris - Immersion for Intermediate & Advanced French Speakers
Too much to list here. Yes!
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Excellent! |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
It is difficult to work with the US-based office because they do not respond to e-mails as often as needed. I get the sense there is a lack of organization and they may need help managing applications and other tasks in the US. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Absolutely loved my home stay family. |
| * Food: |
Enjoyed great dinners with the family and found cheap places for lunch. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
While it was difficult to make friends at the university, eventually I made really great friends that helped me navigate Parisian culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I didn't need any healthcare attention while abroad. |
| * Safety: |
Encountered some sexist behavior but quickly learned to avoid it when going out. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Everyone was very supportive and helpful with my attempts to fully integrate into Parisian life. |
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) |
It takes a lot of planning beforehand but it was fairly easy to live on my budget. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Amount varies depending on the week but without travel to other countries, $100 per week is fine. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Eating out often gets expensive, its best to get a card from your local grocery store and buy your food there. If you're planning to travel, sign up before the beginning of the semester for student travel passes like EuroRail. It will be easy to travel via train/bus/plane with a student card. Yelp or FourSquare can help you find really good but affordable restaurants and bars! |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
There wasn't a single day I wasn't speaking 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 |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 180 (elective), 110 (french major requirement) |
| 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? | You just have to force yourself to use it no matter what. |
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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| 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? |
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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? | Paris is amazing and I should have just stayed there for college - it is significantly cheaper! |
