Wellesley-in-Aix Past Review
By A student (French Language and Literature., Wellesley College) - abroad from 08/27/2012 to 05/19/2013 with
Wellesley College: Aix-en-Provence - Wellesley-in-Aix
It was worthwhile: I made leaps and bounds in my French abilities (which was my goal for going abroad). However, I didn't really enjoy Aix as a city and would have preferred going somewhere else 2nd semester.
Personal Information
| 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. |
First semester was very easy until the last week when I had many final projects due, but second semester turned out to be much more difficult. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
In France, the administration was great. However, at Wellesley, it was horrible. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Loved my apartment |
| * Food: |
the best! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
It was hard to integrate at the fac as most of the other French students seemed to be already in groups. I did make some international friends. In Aix itself, I felt very comfortable after a few weeks. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Healthcare was easily accessible, but slightly expensive for a student. |
| * Safety: |
I felt extremely safe in Aix. I rarely felt uncomfortable in any situation. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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) |
The stipend was enough to cover food and basic needs, but anything extra could get expensive. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 100 euro (not including travel) |
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? | 211, 229 |
| 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? | Just use it. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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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? |
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? | Aix is not the town for me. |
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! |
