Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

How to be alone in a foreign country (which is a good thing) Past Review

By (Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/02/2016 to 05/15/2016 with

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

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned how to be alone, and how to communicate fluently in a different culture and country. There are so many cultural differences between France and the US that I had to learn to negotiate.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The courses were not difficult, but being in a Francophone country educated me more than taking classes at the university.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I could call a doctor and have him come to my house, and there were also names of doctors in the booklet we were given at the beginning of the program. When I couldn't make an appointment, my program director called and made an appointment for me. The directors were both very helpful and caring. The pharmacies are quite cheap.

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

I enjoyed my experience and the benefits greatly outweighed the parts I did not like.

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? 70 euros

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? Fluent
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? French 308
How many hours per day did you use the language?
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? Stay with a host family, and try and make friends who are native to that country! Read the newspaper and watch the news. Don't let yourself watch too much Netflix.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
  • N/A
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • The area of Aix
* What could be improved?
  • We could have been better integrated with the local students, and also with the international students.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I would have liked to take more classes at SciencePo. It would have let me integrate with students more, and would have been slightly more rewarding than the classes at Aix-Marseille.

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 Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.