More challenging than expected but a good experience overall Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The classes were boring and not rigorous at all and the facilities and professors at Aix-Marseille University were terrible.

On-site administration of your program

Madame Fecteau and Sophie were good at their jobs but definitely could have been more understanding of the emotional difficulties people faced, such as issues with host families and street harassment due to racism and homophobia. They tended to pass off issues as "That's just the way the French culture is. You can't change it."

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

It took me a really long time to bond with my host family and the food situation was not good because they barely fed me and disregarded my dietary preferences, but I loved the location of my apartment in the centre-ville.

The food I had with my host family was alright but I had serious health needs going in which my host family disregarded because they held their own superstitions about certain foods. For example, I was severely anemic and needed to eat meat for the iron content but my host mother thought that people can't digest meat while they sleep so we had meat only twice during the semester.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I felt very much like an American and I was definitely perceived as such. If I didn't have short hair and American clothing (sneakers, backpack, etc) or if I was more fluent I might have been able to pass better.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I got a urinary tract infection which was treated with antibiotics and then became antibiotic resistant and came back worse. Both times I called Madame Fecteau, the program director, who just told me to "wait and drink water - you know the drill" while I had a fever and blood in my urine. Thankfully I had a friend who went to the doctors and waited with me (both times I had to wait multiple hours to be seen while in excruciating pain). Neither my program director's lack of sympathy nor the state of French health care impressed me, although I was glad that the out-of-pocket cost for doctors visits is 23 euros.

I was stalked during the entire semester by a man who lived in town and told me he studied at my university. He found out where I lived and where I studied and would even corner me in the supermarket and ask me distressing questions such as whether I enjoy penetration or if he could paint me naked. He was never violent but it made me feel incredibly unsafe because I saw him at least once a week and I never knew how he might behave.

There are definitely things I would change about WIA but I wouldn't change anything about the group of students in the program. They really made the whole experience worthwhile for me.

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

France is expensive because of how strong the euro was and Aix is expensive even for France. Aside from street vendors there are very few affordable restaurants.

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

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• Host Family

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• Host Family

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• Local Students

• The other students!
• Location in Aix
• Weekend trips with program

• Academics
• Program support
• Health care

The Nearly Native or Trail Blazer