Semester in Paris February 05, 2023

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

On-site administration of your program

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My first few weeks I had quite a few difficulties with my host family. Prior to my departure for France I had some issues getting in touch with my host family and when I arrived there seemed to be an expectation that I would stay out of the way and

In my host family I was often given quick and easy meals because my host mom did not have time to cook for me before her yoga class. These included omelettes and dinner plates of hummus, crackers, and coleslaw. Considering the amount that I was paying for meals with my host family, I found it quite upsetting that I would sometimes receive a snack for a meal or be asked last minute to go find my own dinner at a restaurant. I was also not allowed to use the kitchen or store food items in the home. This came as a shock to me as it was one of the reasons me and my host mom were matched, based on our love for baking and cooking. These issues aside, I found it relatively easy to find food for lunch and would often go with friends. Sometimes this was difficult due to time constraints between classes and on those days it would have been helpful to have been able to prepare a meal at home.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

When we were asked to test because of an uptick in Covid cases I think it would have been better had tests been made available to students at the Centre Madeleine for pick up. In my particular situation, when I was told that I would need to test prior to classes the following day, I was released late from an architecture studio that typcally ends at around 6:30. With the hour metro ride back home and the knowledge my host mom would have dinner ready for that time it was quite difficult for me to go out and get a test prior to my early morning class the next day. Other than this, I appreciated the sanitizing protocols in the Centre Madeleine and other precautions that were taken to minimize the spread of covid.

Overall I did not have many issues with safety. There was one incident in the park near my home where I did feel like I was in danger. I had just dropped a friend off at the metro station on the opposite end of the park when a man approached me and began talking to me. At one point I became extremely concerned about my safety and tried to get away from him but he began following me to my apartment. There wasn't much I could do to avoid this but I decided to walk quickly to a location where I knew there were police officers. In an urelated instance, I was locked out of my apartment multiple times when returning home from school and trips. My host mom would have me leave my keys with her so I didn’t lose them and would put her keys in the door when I left (this was an issue my first day when she had a friend over and even after I rang the doorbell she refused to remove her keys from the lock). The issue being that if she was there I couldn’t come in even if I had keys and the second being that I would have to wait outside for other residents to enter the locked gate and main door in order to gain access to the apartment. When this happened the weather conditions were often poor outside (pouring rain and cold) so it was slightly concerning having to wait outside for 15-30 minutes even after communication via text letting my host mother know the time I would be arriving and her indicating she was at home.

I really enjoyed this program and its language pledge. I felt that my french greatly improved and I was able to experience architecture at a french architecture school and in a city where I could easily study architectural precedents. That said, there seemed to be a lack of communication between my college in Paris and the school where I was taking courses. This lack of communication made my transition to Paris quite difficult and somewhat difficult throughout my stay. That aside, I greatly enjoyed the experience and opportunities with my college to explore Paris and regions outside of the city. Some of my favorite activities with the program included a trip to Normandy and a wine and cheese tasting.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

2.5. If I had known that I would be unable to use the kitchen at my host family's appartment I would not have stayed in a host family. My host mom would often ask me to eat out which was rather expensive as I had anticipated being able to cook and eat leftovers.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

We could only use the french language after we signed the language pledge our first week of classes.

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• Host Family

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• Host Family

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

• The opportunity to make connections with locals
• Emphasis on mastering the french language
• Learning by utilising my surroundings and the city

• Communication between my university and the french university I took courses with
• Accountability for experiences of students in Host Families of Paris
• Estimation of financial expenses

The Academic or Linguist