Past Review

By Alexandra O (Computer Science, French, Wellesley College) for

Wellesley College: Aix-en-Provence - Wellesley-in-Aix

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

I think it was worthwhile, but it could've been a lot better. It is definitely what you make of it, but at times I was so bored in Aix with my classes and just day-to-day life. I very much enjoyed being busy and traveling.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	Many classes were solely lecture based, with grades being based on a paper or exam. While this was good for scheduling travel, it was easy to become apathetic towards coursework. Also for some reason, students were not permitted to take computer science. While it is always good to branch out and take new subject matter, it hurt me not to program for an entire semester.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	Everything seemed fine to me. I felt supported and met with Madame frequently to discuss any issues.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	Rue Aude in Aix-en-Provence <br /><br /> Great location, but living with another American probably hurt my French.
* Food:	Sometimes I burned things. Restaurants were usually good.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	I very much enjoyed kayaking trips.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:	I had no health issues, so I can't comment.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes

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)
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	I don't remember. I pretty much survived on the money that we received each month, in addition to a bit of money from my American account.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	I rarely shopped, but I did split the price of a plane ticket for a friend to come visit. Eating out is expensive, but you can eat cheaply if you want. It's always fun to have more money though.

Language

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program?	None
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Hotel Apartment
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Americans
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Local Students

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	You may be sad if you like science...

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Analyse du Film
Course Department:	héorie et pratique des arts du spectacle, XAV E01_1
Instructor:	Thierry Millet
Instruction Language:	French
Comments:	I actually enjoyed this class, but didn't participate often. The professor encouraged some discussion, showed interesting films, and was overall very enjoyable. I didn't like that such a small class was in an amphitheater. Everyone sat very far apart and it was difficult to hear people in front of you (because they were facing the professor). Restructuring or a supplemental section for foreign students could improve the situation.
Credit Transfer Issues:	None yet

Course Name/Rating:	Translation (Traduction)
Course Department:	Wellesley-in-Aix course
Instructor:	Mireille Ozoux
Instruction Language:	French
Comments:	This was an excellent course. We had several assignments, which helped me to stay on task in the midst of traveling. The professor was engaging and everyone had to speak at least once during class. This was more similar to an American course even though it was also 3 hours long.
Credit Transfer Issues:	none yet

Course Name/Rating:	Introduction à l'Art du Moyen Age*
Course Department:	Art History, ARTL10
Instructor:	Andréas HARTMANN-VIRNICH
Instruction Language:	French
Comments:	Uuuugh I hated this class so much. The professor used PowerPoint, but loved to use patterned backgrounds, tiny text, and huge paragraphs of information. It was very difficult for me to follow this class at all. It was so boring and there were so many details that I had no idea what the general points were. Worst class ever.
Credit Transfer Issues:	none yet

Course Name/Rating:	Afrique-Europe : décolonisation comparée
Course Department:	History, HIS L16
Instructor:	Catherine Atlan
Instruction Language:	French
Comments:	The course was presented in a variety of ways, which I enjoyed. We had multiple assignments and even field trips. The professor encouraged us to ask questions.
Credit Transfer Issues:	none yet