Best 11.5 months of my adult life Past Review
By A student (French and Biology, Wellesley College) - abroad from 09/01/2014 to 06/16/2015 with
CUPA: Paris - Study Abroad in Paris
What did I not learn? Honestly I couldn't be a stronger advocate for study abroad. DO IT. Really. Just go!
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. |
I was not particularly challenged by my french university classes and found them to be generally a bit lackluster compared to my home institution. That said, I was very pleased with the in-house CUPA courses and took both over my year stay. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
EXCELLENT! An unparalleled, supportive, friendly franco-american team who wants to help with everything from giving tips on bars to haranguing professors for months when things go awry! (I got credit because of the amazing Cécile Hermellin) |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Excellent home stay experience! |
| * Food: |
As expected. As a vegetarian who did not want to eat poultry/meat even incorporating to fish is difficult and very expensive. Produce varies greatly but is not of great quality WITHIN the city limits. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Still waiting for some reimbursements from the US, but everything went well, fell ill several times but was able to stay on top of everything going on. |
| * Safety: |
Be aware of yourself. Don't speak english loudly especially at night, it marks you as a foreigner and harassment or theft will likely ensue. Try to be as inconspicuous as possible and THINK. I can't even recall the number of friends who had their phones/ wallets stolen on the street or in the metro. For stupid reasons. Never use outside pockets, listen to music on your phone to make sure you still have it on you OR keep it in an INSIDE pocket of coat/clothing or in a hidden part of a bag. Same goes for all other valuables. Don't trust strangers in the library or anywhere else. There is no "honor code" once you set foot off campus. Be responsible |
| 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) |
Honestly, Paris is a very expensive city and while most museums are free or have entries at a low price most everything else will COST you. Do take advantage though, even though I will return flat broke I don't regret any of my travels or basic purchases. Budget for food on a weekly basis, it becomes hard to keep track when you're busy and out all day and pick up a snack (at 4/5 euros) or any random necessities. If you plan on going to bars/ clubbing make a strict budget and only bring cash with you. Drinks are very expensive and you can easily spend 40-50+ euros in one night which is horrifying. Cards will be used, so don't bring them. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Oh god. I have high medical costs (multiple appointments a week) so probably somewhere between 200-300 a week. That is not usual. Food was probably somewhere around 100 though ON TOP of dinner at host family 5 days/week and all breakfasts taken care of. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | BUDGET. EARLY. Don't be too anxious about it. While money is important, you want to be able to enjoy your experience. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
English was forbidden, though once out of the confines of the program I only spoke french with one friend from CUPA besides french people/host family. |
| 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? | 300 level french class. |
| 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? | SPEAK. READ. WATCH. LISTEN. SPEAK. SPEAK. SPEAK. Your confidence will increase exponentially. While the french will never give you a carrot, know that you likely speak much better french than their english and don't let anything deter you from really using your french and making progress. |
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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| 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? |
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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? | To not be afraid of extending myself. I definitely missed opportunities to meet more french friends and I regret having been too timid. They will NOT come to you. You need to go to them. You don't have anything to lose, really! |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
