Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Paris: Best Enjoyed with Company Past Review

By (Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University) for

Columbia University: Paris - Reid Hall, Summer

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Yes.

Personal Information

If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: Reid Hall
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.

The workload was manageable, and the grading system was perfect. It was not nit-picky about grammar and stuff, and cared more about the effort and thought put into the assignments

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

They were nice about stuff, but my grandmother sent me a letter that never got to me, even though they said we could have stuff sent to Reid Hall

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I felt super safe in my neighborhood, and my host family was so nice. I had privacy and freedom. It was amazing. But if I hadn't signed up for 4 dinners with them a week, I would have felt like a boarder at their house, because I never would have seen them I know that some other people had that problem.

* Food:

It was great!

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The cooking class was great, but I wish that they had had programming for everybody - they had two weekend trips, but not all the students could go on them. You could go on one or the other, and even then, not everyone even got to go on one of them.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

The biggest worry was pickpockets, but that was addressed, and I didn't have any 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? I spent about 100 euros a week on food and metro and groceries, and souvenirs, etc. each week.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? I would plan ahead if you want to ravel outside of Paris, because doing it last-minute means higher prices.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Intermediate
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? None
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Language acquisition improvement?

Most people in Paris speak English, so I would try to speak French, and they would switch to English. My host family only used French with me, though. That was the best part.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • The Host Family
  • The Classes
* What could be improved?
  • Camaraderie between students
  • A place to store valuables at school
  • Information about what will count
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Try to make friends on your program, and hang out with them as much as you can. It's lonely to be by yourself all the time.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Third Year Conversation
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language: French
Comments: This class was great for improving French conversation, but it does not count toward Harvard credit-wise, so don't take it. No one told me that before I went.
Credit Transfer Issues: This class doesn't count at Harvard, even for a citation. Don't take it.
Course Name/Rating:

PAris in Context: The Urban City
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language: French
Comments: I loved this class. We took field trips into different parts of the city, and to Versailles. I learned so much about Paris. I loved it.
Credit Transfer Issues: No issues with this class. And I know someone that got it to count toward his History concentration.