Paris is the best city, AUP has some really great people and classes Past Review
By A student (Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/08/2018 to 05/14/2018 with
SAI Study Abroad: Paris - American University of Paris (AUP)
Travel, exposure to new environments
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Academically, AUP is not very rigorous, however there are certain classes/professors that expect more out of their students than others (in a good way. I highly recommend taking a class with Michelle Kuo!) I would say around 60% of AUP students don't really care about school which can make classes a bit disappointing despite professors best efforts, but the other 40% are amazing students and peers. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program kept in touch with abroad students in the first few weeks but sort of fell out of touch throughout the semester (I didn't need much from them so this wasn't a problem for me). However, when my phone was stolen, the school lead me to a police station that had been closed for a year and a half. Not sure why they didn't know this station was closed |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in a homestay and loved my host family,. Most other abroad students chose to live in the Comforts of Home apartments. I have heard that a lot of people have problems with Comforts of Home. |
| * Food: |
It's Paris, great food! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
It definitely can be difficult acclimating to Parisian culture, but you get out of it what you put in, and most Parisians will help you if you need anything. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Overall I definitely had to be aware of my safety in Paris. My phone was stolen about a month in on the metro, and sometimes it felt a little scary walking around at night. But other than my phone nothing else happened to me. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I loved living in Paris. I took amazing classes at AUP (professors Michelle Kuo, Brian Schiff, Marie Regan) and made great friends from fellow students. |
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) |
I was able to stick to my budget but with rigorous planning and saving beforehand. Paris is one of the most expensive cities in Europe. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | It fluctuated, I spent about 50 euros on groceries every week and then probably ~75 more euros on other expenses. More spent on travel |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | You don't have to eat out or go out every night. Grocery shopping and staying in can help save a lot of money. I spent more money on travel which was really worth it for me. |
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 |
There was a french requirement that I had passed from previous coursework |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| 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? | Talk to waiters/baristas/any service people you interact with every day, live in a homestay, watch french movies/tv on netflix, read newspapers, etc. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | Some classes will have more involved students/professors than others. Always watch your belongings when walking around. Being abroad takes some getting used to but it's really worth it. |
