Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

On My Own Past Review

By (Presbyterian College) - abroad from 01/04/2012 to 05/11/2012 with

Paul Valery University, Montpellier III: Montpellier - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned that I made all of my international friends before I left home by helping them with their study abroad experience at my university. The best times I had abroad were the times I spent visiting them in their cities. I learned that I don't know how to make new friends when I have nothing to offer them.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

All the professors were friendly, helpful, and understanding.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

They seemed a little intimidating at first, but they were also understanding and helpful.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

There were very few maintenance problems, and the few that I did have were fixed promptly by friendly people. The room was a little small, but it was clean and had everything I needed to live comfortably.

* Food:

It was France. Need I say more?

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I became a familiar face to a lot of the restaurant and shop owners in the neighborhood around my housing complex.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I didn't really have any health issues that I needed a professional to address, but I heard good things from the other American students who were not as fortunate in that regard.

* Safety:

I might have just been lucky on this one, because one classmate and one professor did get mugged (on separate occasions), but I wandered the streets alone and at all hours of the night without any problems. However, I am sure I was only ok because I am neither an attractive girl nor someone who appears to have a lot that would be worth stealing.

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)

* Was housing included in your program cost? No
* Was food included in your program cost? No
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? I spent about 100 euros in a typical week.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? First, buy your own laundry detergent in bulk from a store, because for me, that was a much better deal than what my housing complex was charging for a cup of their detergent. Also, a France-specific tip is to avoid Monoprix for groceries and other necessities, because it can be a little expensive. There are usually better deals at Carrefour, Géant Casino (which is a lot like Wal-Mart), or 8 à Huit.

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

Even in the classes designed for American students, the teachers spoke almost entirely in French, just a bit more slowly and clearly than they would have spoken for native speakers.

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? French 333 (Introduction to French Literature)
How many hours per day did you use the language? 10+
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? Try to practice with the native speakers who are studying abroad at your home university.

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

* Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? Direct Enrollment

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
  • Hotel
  • Hostel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

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

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • I loved being so close to so many convenient little shops, grocery stores, and snack stands.
  • I loved how modern my bathroom was. I especially enjoyed being able to detach the showerhead so I could aim it where I wanted to wash, and being able to take apart my drain to remove clogs manually.
  • I loved the public transportation. The tram system for getting around the city and the train an bus systems for travelling the country/continent were decades ahead of anything I've seen where I live.
* What could be improved?
  • All of the American students should have been in the same dorm, instead of having the ISEP students in one and the exchange/direct enrollment students in the other.
  • The pre-session shouldn't have started so soon before the French students got back from Christmas break. Spending the first few days in classes with only other Americans really threw me off in a lot of ways.
  • My home university should not require us to complete the transient forms before we leave since we do not know which classes we will be taking until we get there.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I know not to trust anyone who is homesick. I was never homesick, but I spent my first two weeks helping another American student work through her own homesickness. I should have spent that time travelling or meeting French people, because as soon as she had made other friends and I wasn't convenient anymore, she started pushing me away, leaving me with nothing but a weakened self esteem, which made it harder to go out and start doing what I should have been doing from the beginning.