Appreciated It More After My Return Past Review
By Alexandra S (Music, Spelman College) for
IES Abroad: Paris - French Studies
I learned a lot about myself. I learned how to manage my money with my parents. I learned to navigate a city easily. I learned depend on myself in a new environment. I definitely plan to return to France and learn more about the culture and myself in the future.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Alfred Cortot Ecole Normale de Musique |
| 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. |
Due to heavy workloads at my home university, the workload was not a problem in my program. I also adjusted well to the teaching methods of my professors. They taught the same way my professors do, which I think was due to the fact that the program was American, although conducted in French. My classes at the music school were the same. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Whenever I had an issue with classes, getting around, or scheduling trips, the administration for my program was always there to help and would respond quickly to my inquiries. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived with a small family, along with another student from my program. My host family was extremely nice and accomodating, but they were mildly conservative. (They would disconnect the internet at midnight each night.) Everything else about them was wonderful, though! I lived about a 30-minute metro ride from downtown Paris, but it was about the same commute for all of my friends. |
| * Food: |
My host mother's food was excellent, and I was never disappointed by the food when I ate at a restaurant. The best way to find new places to eat is to cruise Google. My friends and I would Google a price, a type of cuisine, a neighborhood, or a metro stop to find a restaurant. I'm not a vegetarian, but I had friends who were and they had a harder time explaining why they didn't want meat to waiters and their host families! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
All of the trips and visits arranged by my program and my professors were excellent. I traveled to the home of Claude Monet, visited most of the museums, walked on the beaches of Normandy, and ate at plenty of restaurants. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I never encountered any safety issues, but I heard about stolen wallets and such. All I can say is to always be aware of your surrounding and protective of your belongings. I never went to a doctor, but I did have to visit a pharmacy and was easily able to explain my symptoms and get over-the-counter medication. |
| 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) |
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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
The best way to improve your language skills are to speak, speak, speak! Speak with your host family, speak in the grocery store, and speak in class. Even if you make mistakes, it's better to make them and learn to fix them. I spoke most often with my host family and in class, and sometimes, when I went out with friends, French people would hear us and want to help us practice! I used French every day, but there were many people who spoke English and wanted to practice that as well. |
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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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? | Nothing ever seems real while you're living it, but once you dwell on it after the experience, everything means so much more. Enjoy yourself, learn all you can, and take advantage of everything placed before you! |
