A test of independence Past Review

By (Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/05/2012 to 05/15/2012 with

Sciences Po: Paris - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned how to navigate everything on my own, pay bills, deal with social security and insurance...

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The school administration is incredibly unhelpful, unfriendly, and not informative.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Students are entirely on their own--even assistance finding housing provided by Science Po is disorganized and unhelpful/

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

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? Housing translated to $500 a week. Food was roughly $250 a week

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

I took all my courses in French

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Fluent
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Fluent

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

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

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • N/A
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • 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 city, the food, the international students
* What could be improved?
  • The adminsitration was terrible, and there were very few resources available
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I had known more about the administration and their disinterest in helping exchange students integrate.