A challenging and rewarding experience Past Review
By A student (University of Michigan - Ann Arbor) - abroad from 01/03/2017 to 05/12/2017 with
Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Paris
I gained an understanding of France's culture through the perspective of their radically different education system and I felt confident enough in my French abilities that I was able to spend the summer teaching French in a refugee center.
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. |
The Middlebury program is perfect for students who are really serious about integrating into the French educational system and French culture in general. It's definitely challenging because you get to take courses alongside French students, but it forces you to make tons of progress. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The staff in Paris is super friendly and kind and I felt really supported by people who understood both the American system and the French one as I signed up for my classes and completed my coursework. I think there could have been a few more social activities and opportunities for us all to get together outside of class. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My living arrangements really didn't correspond to what I had asked for on my housing questionnaire since I was hoping for a family and a more centrally located apartment, but ultimately I made the best of the situation and I got along well with my host mom and grew to like my neighborhood. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I feel like I spent my days in Paris like most Parisians do -- reading books in French on my way to class at a French university in the metro, grabbing coffee in cafés with friends and speaking French with them, wandering around, etc. The only thing that made me feel like I wasn't really integrating was that I spent a lot more time with other Americans on the program than with French students. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
As everyone knows, Paris has become a target for terrorism lately, which I think can be scary for some students although I thought the program addressed these concerns really well and told us how to react if something like this were to happen. On a day-to-day basis, however, the more pressing safety issue is just the fact that it's a big city and you always have to be aware of your surroundings. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I would absolutely choose the same program because I am so glad that my months in France were not only fun and interesting but productive and authentic. I did not want to study abroad to speak English with a group of Americans in Paris for four months but rather to master the language I've been studying for so long and learn about the subtle differences between our countries. |
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) |
Paris is known for being an expensive city and there are certainly costs to living there, like the metro pass and high rent. I found that in terms of food, though, it really isn't so bad as long as you shop at a grocery store and cook for yourself rather than going out all the time. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $100 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Yes - minimize eating out and drinking in bars! You can buy wine and groceries and have picnics when it's nice or just limit yourself to going out once or twice a week and make sure to pack lunches on weekdays. |
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 |
We all signed a pledge to speak only in French throughout the semester. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 378 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Stick to the language pledge if you're serious about learning French, befriend your host family, sign up for buddy programs and go out of your way to approach French kids in your classes (even if you're intimidated). |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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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? | That it's going to be okay!! I remember being so panicked at the thought of leaving home for so long and then again when my classes started and I felt like I didn't even know the basics like how to write an essay or give a presentation. The fact that this experience was difficult is precisely why I got so much out of it and in the end the things that I was so worried about didn't happen. |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
