A Unique Experience With Some Bumps in the Road Past Review
By Student R (Economics and Mathematics, Barnard College) - abroad from 01/12/2013 to 05/12/2013 with
France Study Abroad Reflections: Comprehensive Reviews of Past Programs
I learned the power of cultural differences. Many of my actions and mannerisms were interpreted as very stand offish or off putting. I think that being a person who keeps to myself and also being a minority, I was somewhat of an anomaly in France. Progressive as it was, France hadn't evolved quite enough for me to feel completely accepted. But something I was able to bring back with me was an amazing comprehension of both the french language and culture. I was proud of the progress I made and the beautiful places was able to see, especially since I was the first person in my family to do so.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The aspect that made the classes so difficult was the fact that they were completely taught in french. Overall, the work was manageable but the exams were extremely difficult. Some professors were not totally clear with their expectations so the exams were pretty much a gamble. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They were very helpful on site but they didn't answer emails very efficiently. That was only really a problem before I arrived in France when I needed them to help me with urgent issues like my visa application. I understood that it was a cultural aspect so I tried not to get too frustrated but sometimes it's nice to have an important email answered within two weeks. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
There are many advantages to host families such as great food and a chance to really practice your french 24/7. Host families in the program were very hit or miss. Some people really loved their host parents and were treated like a true family member. My host mom and I had some personality issues that prevented us from connecting. I'm a very introverted person and so my host mom misread and took offense to that and judged me instead of getting to know me. There were also several incidents when she complained about me on the phone to her friends while I was in the house. This isn't indicative of everyone's experience however. A friend of mine had the most wonderful host mother and siblings who welcomed both her and me into their home at all times. I felt more comfortable with her family than with mine. It's also worth noting that in this particular program most students were placed with one host mother. Few people had a host mother, father, and siblings. Because so many of us were with only one (usually older) woman, there were a lot of opportunities for tension like with my host mother. It was just me and her in a very tiny apartment so we ended up leaving each other on pretty negative terms. |
| * Food: |
Aix has a lot of awesome places for pastries and coffee. My favorite parts of the semester were when I got to try something new. Most of my life I haven't cared for eggs or fish but the food I ate this semester completely changed my mind. This was also the best thing about living with our host moms. My host mom cooked some amazing dishes and I also took a cooking class offered by the program which was probably the best decision I made all semester. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Most of the semester I felt more like an observer which was fine with me. I tend to take things in more than I jump straight into them. That ended up being a problem or was misconstrued as offensive by the french people around me. A huge value in the french culture is integration which isn't really in my nature. I feel like I got what I wanted out of the semester and am proud of how much I was able to learn and observe even if some people felt that I wasn't trying hard enough. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I never had to use any of the medical services. One of my friends did and it worked out after getting around all the red tape. |
| * Safety: |
I always felt safe in Aix. Some people had issues with being harassed since the men were a little more aggressive on the street than what they were used to. I also never walked home or went out at night by myself though, which is probably why I never felt safety was an issue. As with anywhere, you have to use your common sense. |
| 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) |
My budget was much smaller than my peers even though I spent all year saving up and my parents gave me some money each month. There was definitely a disconnect sometimes between myself and the other kids whose parents were giving them much more money each month. I made it work though. You just have to know your budget and try and stick to it. Travel is very expensive though. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $150-$200 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Don't get bummed if everyone's going out to bars or travelling for weeks and you can't afford to do the same. I spent one vacation week totally by myself when literally every other student was travelling and it was great! I really like having alone time. I took the week to go to parks and read, study for finals, and try new bakeries. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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? | 0 |
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? | I wouldn't trade my semester in Aix because even with the negative aspects I learned so much about the culture and about myself that I could never have found anywhere else. That being said, french culture may not be the best for introverts. There were a couple more people in my program like me who enjoyed going out but opted out sometimes due to money or other reasons and were constantly told by our host parents to be more outgoing and to go out more. It's a shame because Aix is so beautiful and I want every single person to go visit because it's amazing. I feel like the people that got the most out of the semester were either people with a lot of money or very outgoing people. Also, I thought the language partner idea sounded pretty cool before (a french student about your age who you meet with every week) but in reality most of us never really saw our language partners due to lack of interest from both parties or the fact that a lot of them just signed up for it to meet american girls for the semester and lost interest when they didn't get what they imagined. I think french culture is rich and extremely interesting but you have to really want the most out of it in order to get that amazing experience. I was fine just to observe, learn, and appreciate but that didn't mesh well with the actual culture. So to all my introverts out there, maybe try Paris or London. Bigger cities have amazingly dynamic people who will pull you out of your shell and who really want to know your story. Or you could take a leap and go to Aix!! Life's a journey and every experience, good or bad, makes us a new version of ourselves. |
