Grenoble, je t'aime Past Review
By Emily A (English, French, Presbyterian College) for
Université Grenoble Alpes: Grenoble - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I was really happy with it. It helped me learn about myself and the world around me, showing me different cultures and ways of life.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Stendhal |
| 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. |
It was very fair. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They weren't very helpful or accessible. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I had to buy a lot of basics, like cookware and sheets. It was pretty far from campus (it took about 45 minutes to get there), but it was relatively close to the center of town. Unfortunately, it was halfway up a mountain, so it wasn't too close to anything. |
| * Food: |
We cooked a lot of our own food. The quantity is less than what they give you in America, but I felt it was fair. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Our school organized a lot of events and trips. But, if they say they're serving a free buffet dinner, make sure you eat before you go. Their idea of "buffet dinner" is really different from ours, meaning they just put out small portions of finger-food. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I don't know, I didn't deal with anything like this so I can't accurately say how they would handle it. |
| 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? | 50 euros, give or take. You can make it as cheap or expensive as you want. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | 203 euro social security fee. Nobody warned us about that. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Intermediate (302) |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
Speaking with people in French. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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
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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? | It's great! Grenoble's a really great, laid-back city with tons of academic opportunities (particularly with science). You get a cool French experience, but it's way less overwhelming than bigger cities like Paris or Lyon (you still have plenty of options for things to do, though!) |
