Welcome to Paris Past Review
By Karen S (Economics., Wellesley College) for
Sciences Po: Paris - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
YES. Studying abroad added to my self-understanding, as well as to my motivation to ultimately try and find a long-term job in Paris.
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. |
I really enjoyed the expose method of Sciences Po; giving presentations in French was a challenge that really helped me to mark my progress in the language. Also, the small classes were much appreciated. Some difficulties were the distant relationship between students and professors, and the lack of office hours. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
There really was no program. The administration of Sciences Po was somewhat willing to accomodate international students' issues. There was an office for the Americas, but you had to have a specific question to go; they were not there to provide information. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I went through an agency that my friend from Boston College was using. It was hit-or-miss; I had a WONDERFUL experience, while hers was mediocre at best. I had a great location, and my host family treated me as a mix between a family member, guest, and client. |
| * Food: |
The food that Paris is known for was WAY expensive on a student budget, so I ended up cooking most nights. Groceries are good quality though. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I tried to travel whenever I had the opportunity to visit other friends in Europe. A particularly memorable trip was riding the train through the UK and visiting smaller towns in Scotland. Beautiful!! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I felt extremely safe, since I lived in central Paris. I heard that on the outskirts, it's a little more shady. Fortunately, I was healthy throughout the duration of my stay. |
| 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? | I spent approximately 100 euros a week. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | There are fines for random things in Paris. I was charged about 50 USD for not having my picture in my metro card. Also, toothpaste is super expensive. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | FREN 225 |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I had a francophone buddy and took most of my courses in French, in addition to a French language course. However, I was primarily placed with international students and most French students who interacted with us spoke English. |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Exchange |
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 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? | I would tell the student to only go if she wanta the total package-- to understand what she is getting herself into. It's an apple and Wellesley is an orange, so she'd have to understand to expect different things from both the school and herself. The student that would benefit most is a person who can live in a city and not stress about schoolwork, yet absorb the lessons that the culture has to share with her. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Globalisation, Etats, et Marches Financiers |
| Course Department: | |
| Instructor: | Team-taught |
| Instruction Language: | French |
| Comments: | This course was a particularly poor experience during my study abroad. It was one of the lecture courses available, and therefore was a huge part of my Sciences Po studying experience (meeting twice weekly as opposed to once, and having a final exam). The course was not particularly difficult, since I'd already spent a lot of time in economics courses; however, it was poorly taught, with little overlap between the different professors who team-taught the course. Few students really understood what the point of the course was, since it was very vague and we jumped around a lot |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | Not that I know of yet! |
| Course Name/Rating: |
L'industrie du parfum |
| Course Department: | |
| Instructor: | Maurice Aldaheve |
| Instruction Language: | French |
| Comments: | This course was INCREDIBLE. At first, I was somewhat skeptical of taking a course on the perfume industry. However, I learned SO MUCH, discovered a new passion, and really improved my French during the "field trips" in this course. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
