Europe Changed My Life Forever Past Review
By Kaitlin R (Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication., Illinois State University) for
Novancia Business School Paris: Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I learned how to work with a team, budget both my time and money, and I truly gained independence.
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. |
We had too complex of a marketing class for the level we were at. Besides for that, everything was great. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
On site administration constantly went out of their way to make sure we felt welcome. It was very nice. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
We had to purchase toilet paper and dish soap which we were not expecting. The rooms were VERY small. |
| * Food: |
The food is so much different than at home, and much more expensive than we're used to. We chose to buy sandwich items and chips rather than go out a lot. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I really loved our day trip to Chartres. It was nice to get out of the city and it was very peaceful. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I was the only one pick pocketed on our trip, but just be very aware of your surroundings at all times. We were loud and in a big group on the Metro, it was obvious that we were American and I know I stood out as an easy target. They will distract you to get your things and it works. All I will say is we were all warned, and I took my hand off my bag for a second because they pushed me down. That being said, if I was spending more time being alert and less time chatting with my friends, this may not have happened. Our program did a great job warning us. Other than that, Paris was safe and I felt very secure. |
| 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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Overall, I spent approximately $2,000 including food, personal expenses, souvenirs (for A LOT of people) a weekend trip to Rome and day trips to both Belgium and England. However, I barely ate out because I chose to spend my money on souvenirs and extra traveling. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I was not expecting to spend money on toilet paper and dish soap etc for the dorm. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | This experience is only what you make of it. At times, I cried and was homesick, but then I remembered I was living the opportunity of a lifetime. Don't let the little frustrations ruin your time. |
