Came from one small town to end up in another small town... March 02, 2023
By aagg (Wellesley College) - abroad from 08/27/2022 to 12/18/2022 with
Wellesley College: Aix-en-Provence - Wellesley-in-Aix
I learned how to be assertive in French (which is very necessary) and the historical background of the Provence region, which I really enjoyed.
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. |
The experience was very different than what I am used to in the U.S. but I found myself learning how to adapt quickly to the French academic system, which was at times frustrating. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
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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? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
I realized that I prefered a program that is in a main city but I enjoyed exploring Aix on my own and learning more about it's history. |
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) |
Living with a host family and having dinner often helped out with expenses |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 50 euros |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | When it comes to finding extracurriculars, it should be very easy to find free activities! |
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 |
The program would remind us to speak in French the entire time, it's just that not all of the students were willing to stick to speaking in French outside the classroom... |
| 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? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | French 312 |
| 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? | Meet people at cafes and join university clubs! |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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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 that I took a bit more time researching the city the program was going to be placed at, because I wasn't really as comfortable as I thought I would have been. |
