Paris, Je T'aime Past Review
By Shannon G (Neurobiology and Neurosciences., Middlebury College) for
Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Paris
Yes! It was one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my life!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I think it would have been nice to take less hours of courses, because then I would have had more free time to volunteer, make French friends, etc. As I said above, I wasn't crazy about the French educational system. I did however love the courses at teh Centre Madeline, and I wasn't focused on my academic experience in France- I was more focused on my experiences outside of the classroom. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The courses offered at the Centre Madeline were great! Also it was key to have a place where I could use the computers and print. It was also great having the program co-ordinators there to ask advice and things like that. One weakness is that I would have liked to have taken less hours of courses so that I could have taken advantage of more of the extra-curricular activities offered! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I loved my host family! (Madame Laroussinie) It was about 40 minutes to Paris 7 by metro and 20 minutes the Centre Madeline on foot. I could tell that she really cared about me, so I felt like I had a support system. She also let me be very independent, so it was a great balance of support and freedom. I really can't say enough about my experience! |
| * Food: |
She was a wonderful chef! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I loved the Normandy trip! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Safe and healthy! |
| 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 language pledge was key for my improvement. I started off at a relatively good level of French, but by the end of the semester, I felt fluent. I did everything I could to really live in French (watching TV shows dubbed in French, reading French books, listening to music in French), and so having that experience improved my French very rapidly. |
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? | Definitely do the language pledge- it's hard at first, but if you start right away, it will feel natural, and you will greatly improve your French! |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Langue et Culture 2 |
| Course Department: | Centre Madeline |
| Instructor: | Patrick Guedon |
| Instruction Language: | French |
| Comments: | I really enjoyed this class- it was very small (8 students) and discussion based, so it was very low-key but I learned a lot. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | I haven't applied for credit yet. |
