Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Lots of French food, culture, and language! Past Review

By (History, Wellesley College) - abroad from 08/28/2015 to 01/19/2016 with

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

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
How to travel alone and be more responsible and independent and rely on myself.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

It was fine, hard to get used to listening to classes in French. That took awhile.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

It could have been better. I felt like a lot of things were left out and not mentioned until we got there or we figured it out ourselves. Like the physical state of the school or how classes functioned.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Loved my host family, they were great!

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Some people I know had health problems and felt unsupported in their struggles to feel better while abroad.

* Safety:

Some people I know didn't feel safe all the time and felt like they couldn't talk about it with the administrators.

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? $30 a week (I lived with a Host Family

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

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

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Advanced
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? 6 years
How many hours per day did you use the language?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • My Host Family
  • The friends I made
  • the personal development
* What could be improved?
  • The communcation the admins have with the students
  • A more comfortable relationship with the admins
  • More support academically.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Things will be hard, but that's a part of the process. Don't worry, You've got it!

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 Nearly Native or Trail Blazer
Craving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.'