My Semester in Paris with Sweet Briar College Past Review
By Julia O (Art History, Criticism and Conservation., Wellesley College) for
France Study Abroad Reflections: Comprehensive Reviews of Past Programs
The experience gave me a lot of perspective on my education and life in the United States and made me grateful for so much that I think I took for granted. While I definitely appreciate that aspect of my semester abroad, I would not want to pay money for this experience again. I feel like that money and energy could have been directed at something more academically and personally fulfilling.
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. |
The workload itself was not that cumbersome. I was astounded by the low expectations professors had of their students; the assignments were simple and tedious. The only difficulty I faced in completing the work was in the language barrier and the readjustment to French standards. I was expected to adhere to a rigid structure for papers and presentations and was not really expected or encouraged to express individual opinion in work. This aspect was probably the most frustrating and shocking in my experience and made it difficult for me to take an interest in my assignments. I was also extremely disappointed with the teaching methods I encountered at the Sorbonne. Classes consisted of a two-hour lecture followed by a two-hour conference, during which we merely presented our oral assignments. There was never a true discussion between the professors and the students about the material that we covered. Overall, I found the classes very dull. I often felt like I was wasting my time. However, I quite enjoyed the classes offered by Sweet Briar. The classes were not limited to lectures and required student participation. The professors were much more engaging in their approach to teaching and were always available to talk to outside of class. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
All of the staff were French residents (or Americans who had resided in France for a long time) and were generally very knowledgeable and helpful. I was always able to come into the office and find answers to my questions. The staff were very accommodating and lovely overall. There were a few occasions, however, when the program was a bit disorganized, especially when it came to distributing information on important legal documents (visas, etc.). The program itself was pretty big. There were about 60 of us, and although that does not seem like a very large number, I often felt like there were many unfamiliar faces, even after having stayed there for three months. I was also shocked at times by the maturity levels of fellow students. Given the reputation of the program, I expected my peers to be more mature, responsible, and thoughtful, but unfortunately they proved to be otherwise. The students I encountered were very different from the kind of people I had grown used to at Wellesley, and not always in a positive way. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
While I had no problem finding things to eat because I had no dietary restrictions at the time, vegetarian fare is quite difficult to find in Paris. French cuisine is very much dominated by meat. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We had a lovely wine and cheese tasting in tours and several program-organized trips to castles in the Loire valley, the Catacombs, and Normandy. They were "free" (the program fee in the tuition covered the cost) but always well done. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I lived in a very safe neighborhood and never felt threatened when I went out. However, other friends of mine were in less pleasant situations (including mugging and harassment), but these are things that can happen in any city. The point is just to be smart about where you go and when and to always be alert. |
| 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? | I wish I had thought more about how expensive Paris is. I have never spent that amount of money in such a short period of time, especially with the added expenses of traveling outside of the country. I highly recommend budgeting the semester. |
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? | 200-level courses |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
We were supposed to speak only French at the Sweet Briar office, but the students often switched back to English. However, we always spoke French in our classes and in our interactions with professors, SBC staff, and host families. While most people did speak a bit of English, speaking French was necessary to getting around. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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 did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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