Home Away from Home Past Review
By Sarah H (Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, Ithaca College) - abroad from 01/20/2012 to 05/19/2012 with
Institute for American Universities (IAU): The School of Humanities & Social Sciences, Aix-en-Provence, France
I feel like I truly grew up during my experience abroad. You learn who you are as a person, apart from the influence of close friends and family, and what you're capable of achieving completely on your own. Studying abroad is the most important thing I've done so far in my life. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Review Photos
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. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
My hostmom was the best cook. The local food was delicious too - especially the food from the markets. |
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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? |
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| * Safety: |
I never felt unsafe in Aix. There were also cheap taxis that would pick you up at night if you weren't near your house and didn't feel comfortable walking alone. |
| 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) |
Aix can be fairly expensive, especially once it gets closer to tourist season. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | Yes |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | If I budgeted, I would only spend about 30-40 euros a week. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Use ATMs as little as possible - not only because there are insane fees each time you take money out, but also because it's easier to budget when you have the physical amount of money in your wallet. |
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 |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | An intermediate level French in high school, but I had forgotten most of it by the time I went abroad. |
| 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? | Make sure your host-family speaks French around you and that when you're meeting French people, use the language, because it's so much better to learn conversationally from native speakers. |
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? | I wish that I would have thought a little bit more about budgeting my money - especially when it came to independent travelling. |
