Past Review

By (PSYCHOLOGY., Tufts University) for

New York University: Paris - NYU in Paris

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I'm glad I went, because I feel it forced me to grow up a lot, despite the fact that I already considered myself pretty independent, and I felt like I became much more independent and self-reliant while I was abroad. However, I didn't ENJOY it as much as I would have liked to, I felt like I was just getting by and making the best of it.

Personal Information

The term and year this program took place: Fall 2008

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Classes were a joke- I never did work, never studied, and got almost straight A's. I felt like the other students on the program were not the same caliber as my classmates at Tufts.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The program was completely disorganized, and I felt like I couldn't go to any of the administrators for help. When my home-stay was a disaster, the woman in charge of housing was annoyed and tried to convince me that it wasn't.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I was in a host family for 2 weeks with an elderly couple, but the husband went away on business the day I moved in, and from then on his wife made it very clear that she did NOT want me there and that it was her husband's idea to host an American student. She told me about how she hated Americans, and how dumb we all are, and when I finally moved out she told me I was a bad person, that I had no manners, and that I would regret my decision (this was all in French). I then moved into a "chambre-de-bonne" where I lived in a small room with a sink and mini-fridge, and used my "host family"'s apartment to shower. They were very nice, and I was much happier, but it was an awkward situation because I had to go through their son's bedroom (who was always home) to shower. Also, I was located OUTSIDE of Paris- and although it was only 5 metro stops away from NYU, it took at least an hour to get to the center of Paris. <br /><br /> I was happier in my second housing situation, but I felt completely isolated with no internet and a mile walk to the metro. Also, it was a completely residential part of town so there was nothing open past 10 pm.

* Food:

For lunch I would go somewhere on rue de Passy (the street NYU was located on- also one of the most expensive in Paris) and for dinner and breakfast I usually had something from my room since I was able to keep food there. I would eat dinner with my host family once every couple of weeks, and my host mom was a fantastic cook.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I felt like I was attending an all-girls middle school. The program was about 150 people, 120 of which were girls, and they were all very high-maintenance and catty. NYU had one over-night trip to Strasbourg, which was very pretty, and we got to go to the ballet at the Opera House one night, which was amazing. They also hosted an election night party and invited students from Sciences Po, so we got to meet lots of French students.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

My friend had bed bugs in her bed in the apartment the NYU found for her, and the housing coordinator told her to find an exterminator, and didn't give her any help at all. Aside from that, I generally felt pretty safe- I didn't travel by myself at night for the most part, and my neighborhood was very safe.

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? Too much- a metro pass unlimited for a month is 60 euros, and food is really expensive- the cheapest things to buy are baguette and wine. Also, Paris is one of the most expensive cities- I don't know exactly how much I spent from week to week, but I tried to buy food at the cheapest grocery stores- Monoprix and Monop- and eat at home.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? It is not as cheap as I thought it would be to travel in Europe- PLAN IN ADVANCE weekend trips and book flights and trains as early as possible because prices will go up.

Language

Language acquisition improvement?

Being in an English-speaking program in Paris was a waste of time- we never spoke the language, and I felt like my French didn't really improve.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Other
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wouldn't recommend it to Tufts students, unless you're a fashion major, want to live on your own for 3 months, and don't speak any French.