Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Franglish: the art of translation Past Review

By (Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/06/2019 to 04/26/2019 with

Boston University: Paris - Internship Program

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Yes it was! I mostly improved my written french and how to pause when I think conflicts may arise from cultural differences

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.

Half of the professors were incredible very engaged with the students but there were some who followed a more European 'I lecture you listen' style which was more difficult for me. Some of the professors do not understand cultural differences in terms of in class communication.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Extremely helpful and responsive!

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Very satisfied!

* Food:

I cooked for myself for a majority of the time it was wonderful

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I felt like a Parisian in my day to day interactions and connected that way but but had serious trouble making local friends outside of the program

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Fairly well just had some issues with the international insurance

* Safety:

I felt very safe, the protests were worrying and caused some anxiety but other than that I felt very safe

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

I loved the city and made some wonderful friends, while there were some snags and the academics weren't as challenging as I'd hoped I still had an incredible experience

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? about 135 euros
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? cook for yourself!!!! and go grocery shopping at Lidl in the mornings(!!) bc they run out of products later in the day

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? Fluent
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? FREN 151 B
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? go out and meet people! And speak to your internship coworkers as much as possible. If you are not in a homestay it can be difficult

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

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

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International 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?
  • Housing
  • Time Flexibility
  • opportunity to intern/build my resume!
* What could be improved?
  • Scheduling out outings
  • timeliness of issuing schedules at the start
  • ?
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? that living in a dorm would severely limit the amount of french I spoke on a daily basis

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!