A Beautiful Year in Provence Past Review
By A student (Political Science And French, Wellesley College) - abroad from 08/15/2012 to 05/28/2012 with
Wellesley College: Aix-en-Provence - Wellesley-in-Aix
My experience abroad was incredibly enriching culturally and my language advanced more than I thought possible. Absolutely worthwhile.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | University Aix-Marseille Institut d'Etudes Politiques Aix-en-Provence |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The University experience was not nearly as rigorous as my home university, but the resources offered by the Wellesley program (library, on-site tutor, group tutoring for specific courses) were excellent. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program director went the extra mile to introduce us to new foods by inviting us to her home and hosting a wine and cheese gathering and many others. Each time was enriching and I learned something new. The administration also arranged excursions around Provence and even to French-speaking Gruyere, Switzerland. Without this team, my experience would not have been the same. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Apartments are incredible. Host family was not good. Others had a different experience with this. |
| * Food: |
French cuisine. Enough said. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
It took 6 months to start breaking into local groups and making friends. In France, as a general rule, it can take at least this long particularly if you still need much language improvement. I highly recommend going for the year because it took that long to get integrated. |
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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
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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) |
Part of this program is a student stipend which buffers the cost of living and if you use it right can cover all expenses. However, if you hope to travel around Europe you should plan to spend out of pocket. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | Yes |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Get a Carte Treize pass for buses, it helps you to save on transportation between Aix, the airport and other cities |
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 |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| 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? | FREN211 at Wellesley |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 10+ |
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? | -You must give youreslf time to make French friends -GO FOR THE YEAR |
