Studying Abroad is An unforgettable experience Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The rigor was incredible - equally as hard as Wellesley but in different ways (language was the challenge instead of sheer bulk of workload). The resources provided by the WIA program were very helpful, especially including the Langeron Cours de Soutien. I found the resources at Sciences Po Aix to be incredibly unhelpful. Communication from school-based resources was terrible if not nonexistent; important international student meetings and classes would be cancelled or moved and zero communication was sent out, and I found that aspect to be very frustrating. The school seemed to be very ill-equipped in the absence of a head of school.

On-site administration of your program

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I would strongly suggest staying with a host family. My language skills improved so much from staying with them, as they were not afraid to gently correct me. They also gave me several additional hours a day of practice and immersion. Also, my host mother's cooking was to die for.

French cooking is amazing, but my host mother really made the experience incredible. She often cooked food from the "terroir," but also tried to expose me to cooking from other regions of France including her home region, Normandie. She knew what foods were in and out of season to the week, and only cooked with the freshest ingredients. She also let me help her prepare meals so I could replicate them at home.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Aix felt like the french equivalent of a college town, so there were a lot of students (a lot of whom were also American). I also found it difficult to engage socially with the students from Science Po Aix. I didn't meet a single one who was friendly and open to socializing. That said, the experience was definitely not typical of an American college town/American student life, so I enjoyed the culture of Aix nonetheless.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

The pharmacies are very helpful whenever a casual illness came up (sore throat, cough, etc.) For anything more serious, it's a little more difficult to seek attention.

I walked home every night that I spent grabbing drinks with friends. It's about a 25 minute walk from the center of the village to the periphery, and not once did I feel as though my safety was threatened. I think it doesn't hurt to be aware at all times, but I never felt unsafe in Aix.

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

I think it all depends on how you choose to spend money. I think living on a budget could easily be done if one cooks entirely for themselves and doesn't travel frequently. However, I spent more than I would have otherwise on a very strict budget because I wanted to afford myself the occasional meal out and weekend trip.

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

We were encouraged not to speak english at all, and required not to speak english whenever congregated for an official WIA program event.

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• Host Family

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• Host Family

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

• My host family - I formed a strong bond with them and plan to keep in touch for years - even decades to come.
• Being with my two closest friends from home on the same program, and discovering a brand new town with them. Now that I'm back on campus, we talk about our favorite places and classes and it's like we discovered our own little world that no one else in our friend group has been to.
• Becoming fluent in French - a 12-year goal that I finally achieved.

• The animateurs. I found it very difficult to make friends my age, especially at science po. I think the animateurs did not put a lot of thought into their schedule of activities (what would interest the group, what times would attract the largest attendance), and it didn't help that they did not live in Aix and only attended AMU.
• Support/communication from Science Po to international students (regarding meetings, classes, etc.)