Aix-cellent! Past Review
By Kiley W (French and Economics, Wellesley College) for
Wellesley College: Aix-en-Provence - Wellesley-in-Aix
It was definitely worthwhile. I accomplished all my goals.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Universite de Provence, Institut des Etudes Politiques |
| 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. |
culturally, it was interesting to get to know the French high education system and familiarize myself with the academic backgrounds of French students. it was also refreshing to have a lighter workload than Wellesley's especially considering the foreign language. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
we had a lot of support and always knew where to find help. however, things always took longer than they needed to and admin often needed reminding |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
it was wonderful! i loved my roommate and apartment and the freedom and comfort that came along. though living with a french student/family would have been better for my language |
| * Food: |
always tasty! especially the meals provided by the program |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
it seemed like we were always going on excursions and having cooking lessons and meeting new people. they made it very easy |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
the program did what they could to connect us to doctors that students had used in years past. my only reason for not giving a higher rating is because of my dissatisfaction with the french health system and the doctors i visited |
| 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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | about 50euros, if i didn't eat out. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | i had to pay about 250euro for a health emergency |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | French 211 |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
they encouraged us to make foreign friends and participate in daily French speaking activities. but what would have been really helpful would being able to live with french students |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | You really have to put yourself out there to get the best out of Aix. go out, speak french, talk to other students. you're there to meet new people, have new experiences, and learn a language but that doesn't come effortlessly. |
