Paris: All the good and All the Bad Past Review

By (International Business., The University of Texas at Austin) for

MICEFA: Paris - Study Abroad at University of Paris - Sorbonne

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
While I would have liked a smaller, less international city with more local French culture and with less rude locals, nonetheless the experience alone of living abroad was a wonderful and eye-opening experience. I gained an awareness of different lifestyles and, most valuably, I was able to travel to other countries, which game me the most mind-opening experiences of other cultures and other ways of thought and living.

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.

The workload was very unbalanced compared to the USA, in that there were only 2 or 3 total grades during the semester, but there wasn't much accountability or checks and balances until the very end of the semester when everything was due, so I felt that I crammed most of the semester's work into a weeklong period of extreme stress, and the rest of the time there were no studying responsibilities. Also, the papers and presentations that formed our grades were always personally chosen projects that related to the main class topic, but didn't actually correlate to what we were studying in class (unless we chose a topic that went with what was on the syllabus, a specific Shakespeare play for example). So there was not as much cohesion between what you learned in lecture and then application in your actual projects, as they were often not related. Regardless, I still learned a lot, and I think the process is just different, not necessarily worse.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

I feel that the Micefa workers in France could have been more friendly and helpful, as they often seemed too busy to devote substantial time to each individual, but ultimately I was aided whenever I needed it. They were also very lose about monitoring our individual situations, and could have been more supportive in the house hunt process.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I detested my housing situation, which was located in the cheap but unattractive and unpleasent Chinatown quarter of Paris, and with a very particular and obsessive compulsive older woman. However, I found it myself, and I resolved my dissatisfaction by moving out and finding another apartment with an American friend, so taking that step made the rest of my semester much much more pleasant. I found my older French woman very difficult to live with, as she would go through stuff in my room to "clean" it for me, would yell at me about issues she had rather than discussing them with respect for me, and was altogether very particular and obstinate.

* Food:

The food in Paris was very expensive, but delicious! Street food is plentiful and much more affordable than restaurants.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

We took a field trip to Fontainebleau and to Versailles, outside of the city.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

I felt as safe as you can in any big city, and as long as you are careful and use street smarts when going home at night, you should be fine. I had to get my wisdom teeth removed while abroad, and I was highly satisfied with the healthcare system and with my dental surgery on the whole. I had a professional and knowledgeable surgeon, and felt comfortable.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

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)

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? I felt that it was inevitable, given the location.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Advanced
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? Upper division French
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Language acquisition improvement?

Most of my language exposure was during class time, as it was quite difficult to make native French friends. MICEFA did, however, host two mixers, through which I did meet all the French people that I kept in touch with the whole semester, so I very much appreciated that effort on their part. Spending as much time with French people and living with one or more is by far the best way to improve language skills. I would highly recommend making it a priority to try to live with a native french speaker.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I would consider a more French city or town if you want to focus most on language development, but as far as international experience, this is a one of a kind city and if you are open-minded and flexible then you will enjoy yourself in Paris.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Italian Opera

Course Department: Theatre Department T6S31
Instructor: Madame Myriam Tanant
Instruction Language: French
Comments: This was a very stimulating course, with relevant weekly opera clips. The professor was very informed on the subject, and she passionately analyzed and discussed the clips we watched, and showed us various versions of each operatic piece that we studied. I participated less often than I would have at home naturally, as I did not feel as comfortable in French as I do in English, but I do not feel that I got anything less out of the class.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Advanced Grammar and Text

Course Department: MICEFA course
Instructor: Katja Nossenko
Instruction Language: French
Comments: This was an informative grammar course that taught the more nuanced and advanced elements of French sentence structure, and the professor was knowledgeable. I participated in class as I usually would, and I felt comfortable. My peers were other Americans, but the class was conducted in French.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

19th Century French Painting Impressionism and Beyond

Course Department: MICEFA course
Instructor: Guillaume Peignet
Instruction Language: French
Comments: This was my favorite class possibly, as each class took place in a different museum each week, and we had access to some of the greatest masterpieces in French art in Paris. The professor was very passionate about the art and explained it effectively in a way that enabled everyone to understand and to learn new vocabulary, all the while keeping the course in French. I participated as I usually would.
Credit Transfer Issues:
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Reinterpreting Shakespeare, 18th cent. to the present

Course Department: UFR Theatre T6S10
Instructor: Catherine Treilhou-Balaude
Instruction Language: French
Comments: My professor was evidently knowledgeable on the subject of Shakespeare and the various interpretations that he has inspired, though a lot of the lectures relied on student presentations of specific interpretive works to supply the class with the information, and I had trouble understanding the other students when they spoke quickly, so I feel that I lost a lot because of that. I did not participate as much as I would have it I felt 100% comfortable with my level of understanding of what was going on in class.
Credit Transfer Issues: