La république a volé toute ma coeur! Past Review
By Edward Jenkins (John Carroll University) - abroad from 01/02/2018 to 05/04/2018 with
NEOMA Business School: Rouen - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
The biggest thing I gained was a true sense of self and cultural awareness. We all grow up with stereotypes, and while you may know they're untrue, they still poison your thoughts until you have empirical evidence to refute them. Going abroad broke many of those barriers I had and showed me a wide array of people from a position where I was the minority and had a difficult time speaking the language. It gave me a lot of perspective. Study abroad is extremely worthwhile.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
NEOMA is a really great school. They really try to integrate you with the French students and culture both in and out of the classroom. The students are very friendly and welcoming and want to help you have a great time. Take advantage of events with Culture Connection; they're really worth your time! |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They are nice, but disorganized. They aren't the most accommodating at first (offering few classes to choose from and not being flexible about changing classes), but once you press the issue, they'll work with you. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
It was fine for the price, and living in Ango is really fun, but don't exactly be expecting a Mariott. It's very very tiny and the single burner makes cooking almost impossible. |
| * Food: |
The food in the cafeteria was really good and the prices were certainly fair, but the cafeteria was only open Monday-Friday in the afternoon for lunch. Meals besides that were cooked in your residence or you went out to eat. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The Culture Connection team does a great job helping international students integrate into the French culture with events like the Running Dinner and trips to other cities. The French students take it even further and go out of their way to invite you places and try to be your friend. They are really friendly and nice here. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Easy to deal with since it's covered through NEOMA fees. It's just expensive. I did not use it while there. |
| * Safety: |
Stay on Rive Droite especially at night and you'll be fine. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
There are ups and downs to every situation. I loved my time at NEOMA, and I met some of the most incredible people in the world. I wouldn't trade it for anything. |
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) |
It's certainly do-able for cheap, but it's an experience. If you want to travel and eat nice food, you'll have to spend more. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $300 |
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 |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | AP French |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Branch out. There is zero French spoken if you live in Ango. Go and meet French friends. They'll help you learn (they actually enjoy it). |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Exchange |
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? | Ango is a bubble. A really fun bubble where you make amazing friends, but you miss out on a lot of opportunities to meet more locals and practice your French. Maybe see if an apartment is possible. check out Craigslist or some roommate finding sites. Also, don't live in Omega. The amount you spend (that you could spend on travelling) isn't worth it. |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
