Aix was really fun! Past Review
By Annie H (Economics and International Relations, Colgate University) for
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Aix-en-Provence, France
Absolutely.
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. |
The language course was wonderful for discussions, but the academics seemed significantly less demanding than American universities. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Support from CEA was wonderful, couldn't have asked for a better administration! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The neighborhood was a bit of walk, but generally pretty safe. There was another American living in the apartment who didn't know much french, and that hindered the full immersion experience. |
| * Food: |
Dinner was usually great, breakfast was bread and jam, which was fine, but not the healthiest way to start the day. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Loved the field trips with George, but didn't expect that to be an extra cost. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Safe city, manageable size, love the socialized health care system! |
| 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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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
A lot of people spoke English, and a language lab would have been a valuable component to this course. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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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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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Looking to have a good cultural experience, not necessarily seeing academic challenges. |
