The Making of a Club Kween Past Review
By A student (University of Maryland - Baltimore County / UMBC) - abroad from 09/01/2015 to 12/19/2015 with
Institut Catholique de Paris: Paris - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I got to travel to France, which I had never been to before. I have a better grasp of the French language. And I have amazing memories.
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. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Program director was extremely strange. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
A lot of problems with plumbing: toilet, shower and sink. Apartment was too big for two students to manage and clean. Not an age-appropriate building for young people to live in. |
| * Food: |
Food was not provided by the program. |
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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? |
Very easy to get treatment for a health problem I had, medicine was very cheap. But the insurance we bought for the program was unecessary even for prescribed medications. However, there was no support for students with mental health issues. |
| * Safety: |
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| 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) |
1 |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | €200 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Buy very few groceries, only a few staples. |
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? | French 101 |
| 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 lots of French friends if possible, and go out a lot. |
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? |
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 type of housing I would have. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
