Enlightening and Refreshing Semester in Aix Past Review
By Hallie Pimperl (Wellesley College) - abroad from 08/19/2017 to 01/15/2018 with
Wellesley College: Aix-en-Provence - Wellesley-in-Aix
I learned a new language and the challenges of trying to express yourself when you are speaking a foreign language. I feel like my speaking capabilities not only in French but also in English have improved, and my classes even come more easily to me now since they're no longer in French. It was totally worth it.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I had a great educational experience through this program and truly feel like I learned a lot. The academic rigor was just challenging enough to inspire me to do my best, but not so difficult that I felt overwhelmed. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Both the head director, Monique Fecteau, and the cultural director, Magali Coates, were fantastic at their jobs. They were incredibly resourceful and made the whole process run incredibly smoothly for us. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I chose to live with a host family while I was abroad, and I LOVED it. I became so close with my host family and our constant conversations definitely improved my speaking skills. |
| * Food: |
I had no problems with the food my host family made for me, and I bought/made my own lunch so I was completely satisfied. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I feel like even though my pronunciation was pretty close, locals could always tell that I had a slight accent so that really inhibited my ability to act/live like a local. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had no healthcare issues while I was abroad, so I'm not sure how the French healthcare system would compare. I didn't need any vaccines for my program, either. |
| * Safety: |
I felt pretty safe in Aix-en-Provence. The only time I had problems would be when I was waiting for a taxi late at night, but usually if I had someone wait with me, I didn't have any problems. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
The program was wonderfully organized and well thought out. We got to take fun trips together and my group in particular got along so well. My classes were interesting, and I feel like not only my language capabilities grew but also my character. |
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 $100 |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
We were required to speak French at all times. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| 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? | An Intermediate Writing class (French 211) |
| 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? | Strike up a conversation with your host family all the time if you can. And really try to only speak French with your friends. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| 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? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I knew that I didn't need to stress so much and that the language will come easier over time. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Traduction |
| Course Department: | French |
| Instructor: | Madame Klein-Scholtz |
| Instruction Language: | French |
| Comments: | The class could be a tad challenging, but overall it was incredibly interesting. It was so useful to helping me understand the small nuances that come with a language, and the instructor was absolutely fantastic at what she did. She was thoroughly prepared and always open to new translations of the texts. I participated in the class about as much as I would have at my home institution, and our grades were based on our scores from the two exams and the three quizzes assigned. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | Since this particular program is a Wellesley sponsored program, everything transfers pretty smoothly. |
