A great city, a not-so-great program Past Review
By A student (Wellesley College) - abroad from 08/18/2018 to 01/07/2019 with
Wellesley College: Aix-en-Provence - Wellesley-in-Aix
I got so much better at French, and even if I didn't make close local friends, I made friendships in the program that will last, and that's ultimately what is so important to me.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I adored the translation class I took as part of the program course offerings, but in general, the academics were meh, and trying to talk to the program director about academic issues often made me feel worse. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I honestly don't know why these women are still in their jobs. Time and time again, they expressed anger and hostility towards the students they were meant to be assisting, and they were constantly condescending. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I will say that my host family was superb. Seriously, had a great experience with them. They were super kind and really treated me like a member of the family. |
| * Food: |
My host fam made a ton of good food for dinners, and I was also welcome to eat anything in the house - a definite plus. Tbh though I ended up eating a lot of "American-based" food since I felt homesick. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I didn't have any physical heath issues that I went to the doctor for, but my mental health was shit, and I honestly didn't feel comfortable talking to the program director about it in order to get help. Mental health is a bit taboo in France, so that didn't make it easy. |
| * Safety: |
Besides a creepy dude at the bus one night (it was 9 PM), I felt really safe at all times in Aix. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
I mentioned before that the program directors are really difficult to work with, and I would never do a program with these women in these positions. I would never recommend anyone else to do it either. The overall structure of the program was good, but not the people running it. |
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? | $100 ?? |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Track your budget! I have a tracking thing in Google Sheets I made and I love it. Also, be aware of the exchange rate - it changes but it stays roughly at $1.20 for 1 euro (at least while I was here). And don't forget about international transaction fees!! They can be killer. |
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 |
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| 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? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 200-level at Wellesley |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Spend time with your host family, reach/watch things in french. Also, try to talk with other program participants in French. It kinda feels silly sometimes, but it helps (but honestly, if you need a break, speak English with other people in the program and make friends! it all helps) |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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| 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? |
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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? | Honestly, how rude and demeaning the directors would be. I was told they might be a bit difficult to work with, but what I and some friends went through... We didn't have to go through this, and it 100% could have been better. |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
