Grenoble, Enlightement in the Alps Past Review

By (PSYCHOLOGY., Barnard College) for

Boston University: Grenoble - Language & Liberal Arts Program

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It was totally worthwhile. I now understand myself better and I'm a much more open and proactive person.

Personal Information

If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: Université de Stendha lin Université de Grenoble
How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I had a really good experience. I came to learn the language and to learn more about the culture and that is exactly what I got. I was placed with a teacher who believed in drilling grammar and vocab into us and as a result I got a lot more work than I expected, but it helped me a lot. She was a fair grader and knew our individual differences to the point where she would grade us individually based off of our own capabilities rather than a set grading system, which may not be the best thing, but it really pushed me to work harder. Tehy grade on a scale of 1 to 20 and according to the way Boston University assesses grade, a 16 or above was an A then a 15 was an A- and so forth. If you put in effort and talk to the teachers, you should have no problem.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Marie-Eve, Céline, and Patrice were so helpful! The office was usually always open and they always responded to text messages. They got things done very quickly without delay and really helped us with all the administrative stuff pertaining to the school and visas, which were a huge hassle. Marie-Eve was also a teacher in BU for 17 years or something so she was very well versed in American ways. Céline was the housing coordinator and she was fantastic with her placements.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I didn't buy anything except for shampoo and soap. I was provided with everything I had my own room and it was large. My host family was very welcoming and friendly, and they had previously had experience with hosting students so they knew how to help us properly.

* Food:

I am vegetarian and lactose intolerant and I had no problem finding places to eat. There are all types of restaurants and grocery stores of different cuisines so honestly, anywhere is good to eat.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

We went to Arles, which is close to the Mediterranean; Vizille half an hour away from Grenoble where the French revolution started; and Strasbourg, a Germanic french town that is just across the bridge from Germany. These trips were amazing, plainly stated and gave us a good look at other parts of France. We did a lot of random cultural things in the city that I cannot remember at this certain moment, but overall Marie-Eve and the others were very good at making sure we got cultured.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

Grenoble is one of the safest cities I have ever been to in my life. There is basically no crime there so no problems.

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? We had a stipend of about 400 euros each month given to us by the program and though we were allowed to get advanced from the next month's stipend, I never used it.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? I traveled a lot and I had to be careful of my spending in that sense. Also, eating out can become expensive since the average meals runs to nearly 10-12 euros. Also, shopping is still shopping. It'll probably be cheaper back home, but all the same, be careful what touristy items you buy.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Advanced
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? Advanced/3000 level
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Language acquisition improvement?

I had 8 hours of grammar/vocab class a week since I was in the B2 level and we only spoke French in our class. I also stayed with a host family all of whom speak English fluently, but would only speak in French to us. That was probably the most helpful. No one ever spoke English to me unless it was another Anglophone student or the random French people we met who would try to throw out phrases in English just for the fun of it.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students
  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • International Students

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I think that you need to be ready to expand your horizons and be a slightly self sufficient person. There is partying and having fun in Grenoble, no doubt about it, but it's really French. Grenoble is so French that foreign students could be put off and want to spend time with all Americans or people from their own program. So if you come here, you need to take charge and be proactive about it. And finally, you make your own experience so let your mind decide what you want.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Histoire Contemporaine

Course Department:
Instructor: Professor Patrice Terrone
Instruction Language: French
Comments: The teacher was extremely knowledgeable and was funny in class. Patrice was also our academic adviser for the Boston Program so we could ask him for extra help when needed. The thing was that because we were BU students, he graded us a little harder than other students especially since he knew what we were capable of. But otherwise, it was a great experience learning French history from a French perspective.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Litérature Contemporaine

Course Department:
Instructor: Professor Dominic Evan
Instruction Language: French
Comments: The course had fairly interesting material but we read a lot of excerpts and the two books we did focus on, L'étranger and L'écume des jours, firstly I had already read L'étranger, and we went so in depth into those two books to the point where it was almost unnecessary. That time could have been used to read other things or to focus on more of some of the other works we had read. But the professor is super nice and gives us ALL the material we need for exams.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Histoire du Cinéma Français

Course Department:
Instructor: Professor Yves Citton
Instruction Language: French
Comments: This was an amazing course even if you have not had a real film course before. We watched the best French films ever! He had at text printed out for us, which was at the same level on incomprehensibility that most film texts are but he was very good at clarifying everything and making sure we knew what was important. Professor Citton was also a very funny and quirky professor so his classes were never boring.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Espagnol A1

Course Department:
Instructor: Professor Fatima Mohammed
Instruction Language: French, Spanish
Comments: I took this class at the actual university, not in the CUEF which is the institution in Université de Stendhal specifically for foreign students. I would advise anyone against starting a new language in France as their language courses are fairly easy to get lost in. The professor would cancel classes and reschedule them at times when not everyone could make them, and she went really fast at times. She had a lot of enthusiasm and we often listened to music (lots of Shakira) to help further our comprehension but the fact was that she would say something in French that I would not understand, which would thus make me not understand the Spanish version. It was not useful at all if you wanted to REALLY learn the language. It was good for meeting real French students though.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Travaux Pratique

Course Department:
Instructor: Professor Elsa Crozier
Instruction Language: French
Comments: It was 8 hours of grammar and vocabulary a week teaching us how to read, write, listen, and speak French. It was tedious but extremely helpful if you are dedicated to improving your French.
Credit Transfer Issues: