My life changing experience in France: The good, the bad, and the chaos of french culture Past Review

By (French/Linguistics/Communication, Western Washington University) for

ISEP Exchange: Caen - Exchange Program at Université de Caen

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Absolutely, it changed me life. Its not for everybody though, I wont lie when I say it was very hard. Really introverted people will struggle to make friends, you have to be tough, independent, and confident.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Its very unorganized and not at all like the American system. The profs really care though.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

French communication by American standards is poor at best, but honestly its just a culture thing so you have to get over it. I am very OCD and I like things all in order and French Uni is pure chaos. The admin were not there half the time, did not communicate to us students so we wandered about confused a lot in the beginning, and they were often quite rude. Half of the school year the profs were all on strike and NOBODY uses email to communicate its ridiculous. I would have to get up and get ready and go to class before I noticed the doors blocked by chairs and no one there.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Housing was okay, the cleaning ladies can be quite rude though. Security was ridiculous as well and I had many problems with the director.

* Food:

French food is awesome.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The good friendships, the good food, and Amsterdam. Studying abroad is hard and it often sucks, but its also the best thing I have ever done in my life. It has shaped me, and thanks to my French friends I am fluent in French and continue to listen and read in French daily.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

Homeless people kept sneaking into our dorms and raiding the kitchens, smearing our food everywhere.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Finances

* 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)

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Language acquisition improvement?

I practiced my French with everybody I met, including my French boyfriend who I met at a bar.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • International Students
  • Americans

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Be prepared, read blogs by others, and expect that things may go wrong and not always as planned. In my opinion, I always expect things to be awful and I still go with a smile, and if you set low expectations you are always happy and thankful for what you get.