Language immersion surpassed my expectations and incredible staff! Past Review
By Cesar Dominguez (Williams College) - abroad from 01/09/2016 to 05/23/2016 with
France Study Abroad Reflections: Comprehensive Reviews of Past Programs
The program was definitely worth while! I gained plenty of experience of executing personal goals in unfamiliar locations.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
There was a fair amount of class options with the Sweet Briar Program in Paris and there and great flexibility in enrolling in French Universities. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administration is fantastic! They are super organized, always accessible, always eager to have conversations about how things are going along with your home, academic and leisurely life. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
There was no problem with safety, the family fed me extremely well with great French food! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
It was very easy for me to immerse myself in the family's culture. I had to make a strong effort to connect with Parisian students (no surprise there) and I did have to make an effort to not aggregate with groups of American students that spoke English with one another. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
The programs administration is hands down the best educational administration I have dealt with. They were extremely friendly and always willing to help. |
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) |
With a host family that provided breakfast and dinner (except one night per week), I was able to survive with a low budget. On average I would spend 5-7 Euros for Lunch throughout the week. By the end I also figured out to buy food from grocery stores and pack my own lunches for about 2 euros per lunch. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 40-70 Euros |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Read the comment above about going to grocery stores |
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 |
The program definitely encouraged the students to speak only French but most of the students spoke English amongst themselves. |
| 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? | One litterature course |
| 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? | Go to French-English exchange events. They can be found throughout Facebook and a popular organization that runs events is Franglish. They host 3-5 nights of French English exchanges per week. |
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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| 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? | Make an effort to go to events hosted by French organizations. Join a club or sport with other Parisians. Go to French-English languages exchanges because are very popular |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
