Study Abroad in France: Inexplainable in one line Past Review
By Mary Cassada (Wofford College) - abroad from 08/29/2017 to 12/15/2017 with
IES Abroad: Nantes - French Language Immersion & Area Studies
I learned that there is no "right" way to live. Everyone lives differently; there are no two cultures exactly alike. A major problem today is that many peoples believe their ways of living are superior to others when every culture is formed and adapted to its surrounding conditions and environment. There are better and more efficient ways; there are positive and negative aspects characterizing every people; there is no perfect culture. It is beneficial for people to understand this to become more openminded and improve themselves, rather than living in a bubble believing the misconceptions and widely-accepted falsities of the far-away, distant "them."
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
French language courses were not adequately challenging. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Everyone was so helpful and available to us as students and simply people away from their homes. I felt very cared for and attended to by the IES staff and greatly appreciate their work to assimilate us into the culture and take us to iconic French monuments. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My family was not very inclusive or welcoming, but I felt safe and secure nevertheless, which is most important. |
| * Food: |
FRENCH FOOD IS AMAZING |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
My teaching internship helped me a lot with this. I taught at a local middle school and felt very connected to the culture, at least with middle schoolers. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Thankfully, I never had any issues but felt prepared had I needed anything. |
| * Safety: |
You have to always be aware and on guard, especially as a female and at night in the Bouffay area. People can become aggressive and pushy, which is scary. But staying with a group of friends and having an awareness of your surroundings, suggests that the environment will be safer. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
If I had to do Nantes again, yes. But I would want to continue to travel and would definitely use IES in another city. |
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) |
It worked well for me. My friends and I were able to find affordable food while also treating ourselves to the important aspects of French food culture as well. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 70 euros |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Take out euros from the bank and use those rather than swiping a card every time. This makes you more aware of what you spend. But also, you're abroad! Be smart about money, but remember that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and you might not have the chance to do some of these things again, at least anytime soon. |
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 |
They were always encouraging us to speak French, which we should, because that is how we improve. |
| 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? | 300 |
| 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? | Listening to music, going to movies, speaking to locals, make a pact with your friends |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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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? | The locals will help you learn more than any other person. Take good advantage of them and getting to know them. Don't be afraid to speak French; just do it and you'll learn. |
