A Chance to Really Explore the World! June 02, 2023
By A student (Computer Science, Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/03/2023 to 05/28/2023 with
American University of Paris: Direct Enrollment & Exchange
A different mindset and an open-mind for different thoughts and cultures. A chance to learn about different people's perspectives and their ties to their culture and origin. It was definitely worthwhile
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. |
The academic rigor of the program really depends on the specific professor. My art history professor was pretty strict about grading but my CS professor made it pretty easy for us. I did learn a lot from my classes though and I wouldn't say they are the easiest classes. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The appartment looked nice but there were a lot of issues when we moved in. The building was also broken into several times so it was kind of scary. |
| * Food: |
I cooked mostly on my own and occassionally ate at restaurants. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I was able to make new friends and go on dates with locals. I did wish that I could make more french friends though. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I was able to get treatment, but my insurance program, which is my college insurance, took forever to process depositing my claim money and I've been waiting for more than 3 months. |
| * Safety: |
In general I felt very safe as an Asian and female-presenting person in Paris. There was once that I got catcalled at Montmartre at night, but other than that I felt very safe most of the time. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
The Wellesley-in-Paris program really allowed us to understand and compare different cultures, and I was able to get exposure to different places in Europe and Africa throughout my study abroad. |
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) |
We were only given a 350 euro stipend a week, and recharging the metro pass and paying the phone plan took up about half of that amount. Though I cooked mostly on my own, I found it a bit difficult to cover my daily expenses with the stipend. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 100 euros |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Use TooGoodToGo if you have access to it in your area! It's a food-saving app that sells meals, groceries, and other things at very low prices. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
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? | I should have learned more french so that I could immerse myself better in the culture |
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 Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
