A great program if it fits your needs and you can afford it Past Review

By (Whitefish Bay Schools) - abroad from 07/04/2015 to 10/30/2015 with

Oxbridge Academic Programs: Paris - Oxbridge in Paris

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I visited a lot of awesome museums and saw a lot of an amazing city.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

It was interesting but not especially rigorous. Academic but not extremely scholarly.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The Administration are very cool and from all over and older and educated.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

It was very nice. We lived in a boarding school. The rooms were nice and many people, like me, did not have to have a roommate.

* Food:

Very good breakfast and dinner, with lunch on your own.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

You really could see lots of places by yourself and with the group. However you lived with students from all over the world and weren't especially integrated. But I liked that because I wanted to learn about law in English.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I ran by myself every morning which was nice.

* Safety:

You basically could go anywhere anytime you weren't in class, so you had to be safe and make smart decisions, which wasn't an issue for me.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

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? $70
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Almost all museums you get in for free (or at least a reduced price) if you're under 18, which is awesome! The program pays for activities you sign up for with a counselor. You have to buy lunch everyday. You can buy cheap options--but you've paid so much money to be there I recommend you splurge occasionally on food--you're in Paris!

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

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

Not really that much. Many kids didn't speak French. But if you made an effort you could speak some.

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? Intermediate
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? High School French 3
How many hours per day did you use the language? 0

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • The independence
  • The different nationalities of the students
  • The excellent staff and teachers
* What could be improved?
  • Signing up for activities
  • French language usage
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I should have taken a minor in French. I would have enjoyed it.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

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The Avid Adventurer
The wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal.