Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

A life-changing year! Past Review

By (Yale University) - abroad from 08/31/2015 to 05/20/2016 with

CUPA: Paris - Study Abroad in Paris

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Study abroad was ver worthwhile. It really helped me build my social skills and my people skills. I was able to feel confident speaking in french and navigate living in a foreign city. Getting to travel around France and Europe was very valuable. I learned about different cultures and went on great adventures. Academically, I was able to take a wide array of classes in french literature with amazing professors at local universities where I was also able to interact with local and international students.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

CUPA offers a rich array of resources, such individual language tutoring and proofreading services. In-house courses are rigorous. Student also take classes at a french university or at multiple universities of their choice, so rigor depends on which university/which courses a students pursues.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I was placed in the host family of my dreams.

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

CUPA allows for students to go out on their own. It is up to a student to integrate into local culture as much or as little as he or she wants.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

CUPA has so many resources that were a great help when it came to adjusting to the french university system. I also loved that CUPA allows students to be very independent and integrated in the local culture while also being able to fall back on the CUPA resources if need be.

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)

Most meals were included as part of the homestay, which meant spending less money on food per week.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $120
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? It is a good idea to get a debit or credit card with no international fees. Eating at a university cafeteria saves money as well!

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

There was a mandatory language pledge. French was mandatory on the program's premises.

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Intermediate
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Intermediate
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? Don't hesitate to make friends with locals in classes or even on the street. This is the best way to practice the language.

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

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • staff/adminstration
  • program resources
  • orientation
* What could be improved?
  • offer more in-house courses
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? The program was very transparent and going in, I knew what I was getting myself into.

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 Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!