A good challenge. Past Review
By Siva S (Social Studies, Harvard University) for
Bryn Mawr: Avignon - Institut d'études Françaises d'Avignon
I gained an affinity for French culture, food, and traditions.
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. |
Most of the professors teach at American institutions during the school year, so the academic experience was quite familiar. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Madame Dufour is the most incredible human being and will do whatever she can to fix problems you have. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in CROUS Laugier, which had a great location. Our rooms became sort of a social space for the whole program on weekends because we were the only ones living without supervision, so that was a huge plus. On the other hand, it wasn't until we went out of our way to try to meet other people who lived there that we had people to practice our French with. |
| * Food: |
The cheapest way to eat is to buy groceries from Carrefour or the Casino supermarket right outside the walls. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The weekend trips were okay but always cut short. I had better experiences traveling with friends outside of programmed activities. The summer theater festival is awesome. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Avignon seemed pretty safe, especially within the walls (where I lived). |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | The books were actually quite expensive, and there was no used book option, so we all had to pay full price. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
The classes were conducted completely in French, but the rule that only French was to be spoken during program activities was not enforced very heavily. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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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A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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