Past Review
By Margot S (Political Science And French, Tulane University) for
EDUCO: Paris - EDUCO in Paris
Yes but not because of the program itself. The one thing the program really taught be was independence, how to handle myself in a situation without any help from familiar resources. This isn't sarcastic, it's a valuable experience.
Personal Information
| The term and year this program took place: | Fall 2009 |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The courses taught by EDUCO were academically stimulating, the courses taken at French Universities were very basic and not interesting. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Not helpful with choosing courses, there is no organization with how the courses are presented to you, not enough personnel to help all students, NO explanation for course equivalency whatsoever |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Great apartment, EDUCO did a really nice job, the woman in charge of housing is wonderful and wants to make sure everybody is safe and happy |
| * Food: |
Once again, EDUCO did not properly explain the use of food tickets at Foyers, however when we figured it out, it was easy and very accessible (and November) |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Just like college, you have to create your own fun. There is ALWAYS something to do or see in Paris, very easy to have fun! |
| * Safety: |
You really need to look out for yourself, the program cannot stop people from following you home or harassing you. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Do not eat out a lot! Buy groceries responsibly, buying random snacks, drinks, and meals out of home REALLY adds up. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Fluent |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
I lived in an apartment with another American so we spoke English where as a lot of other students in the program lived with a French family- their skills improved tremendously. |
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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | You need to have a strong backbone- you will have to be more independent in this situation more than any other you have experienced in the states. |
