Past Review

By (Architecture., Wellesley College) for

Columbia University, GSAPP: Traveling - The Shape of Two Cities: New York/Paris Certificate

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Paris makes a great home base for traveling around Europe. Great experience, if you can't do Columbia's program just pick any program in Europe and you're going to have an adventure. Keep traveling, keep experiencing things, try and meet new people. You'll look back years later and say those were the best times.

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.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The program is excellent, except sometimes there are huge drawbacks. For one, we pretty much had to pay for everything ourselves and work out of our own apartments on studio work, which I will tell you tends to get crazy. Access to the computer programs we needed, as well as ample studio space, was thrown together very haphazardly and in most cases did not supply us with what we needed to accomplish the tasks we were given.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Lived in a great neighborhood in both cities. Super expensive though. <br /><br /> My housing was great, but it's a crapshoot because Columbia doesn't provide you with housing. You're on your own so have a fat wallet if you want to live in a nice apartment in a nice neighborhood.

* Food:

I also provided this for myself, so you're on your own on that one too.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I wish they had helped us meet more French people in Paris and helped us assimilate a little bit better, but New York was great. We got to meet a lot of people in the grad school there.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

You're on your own so be smart.

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)

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Cook at home. It saves an ungodly amount of money and will make your life better in the end. It also helps you learn how to cook. Also, if you're tight on money, just stop drinking coffee and alcohol and don't smoke cigarettes.

Language

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? None
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Be savvy when it comes to expenditures and don't be afraid to do things on your own. You have to be a very independent person to get by.

Comments

If I believed that school can teach you how to be creative, I'd believe in this program.

CERMUDGEON August 10, 2010