Aix Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I took classes at two different universities. The regular Aix-Marseille university was awful -- classes were crowded, students (and sometimes professors) didn't seem to care about being there, the university was physically falling apart, and I learned very little. At Sciences-Po Aix, however, the classes were great -- very educational, taught by inspiring and intelligent professors who clearly wanted to teach their students what they knew, and other students were engaged and excited to be in class.

On-site administration of your program

I was hoping that by having staff on site I would feel supported and assisted throughout the duration of the program. However, I could not have felt less cared for. We were constantly lectured and belittled and I was afraid to come forward when I had problems. I felt more comfortable asking for assistance from my part-time host family who I had known for a few weeks than from the program administration.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in an apartment and I loved it! Super clean, great location, and awesome amenities!

Food was amazing. Mostly I cooked for myself but when I did go out to eat, it was incredible. One plus with our program administration was that we got to go to a number of fantastic restaurants during the year.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I went to the doctor once and got recommendations from the staff and had a pleasant experience. However, my roommate got the stomach flu one night and reached out to our program director who accused her of making herself sick and refused to help her and .

Never felt unsafe in Aix, even if walking alone late at night.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

The 500 euro stipend from Wellesley was phenomenal but I still ended up spending a ton of my own money (the stipend was supposed to cover food and small amenities for the apt but we ended up needing to spend a lot more to get settled in -- buying things that were missing from the kitchen, etc.). 500 euro a month seemed like a lot but in all practicality, it wasn't enough and I spent tons of my personal savings

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

We were supposed to use French at all times and got in trouble if we didn't

Select all that apply

• Apartment

Select all that apply

• Americans

Select all that apply

• Local Students
• International Students

• I loved being in France, experiencing the culture, eating the food, meeting new people, practicing the language, etc. The program did a great job of exposing us to sites around the country, introducing us to programs in the area, etc.

• More supportive staff on site