54 reviews
4.31 / 5 based on 54 reviews

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Christina P
Overall
I wish I had known...
That a lot of English is spoken in Paris, that the weather in Paris can be very cold in February/March.
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In my opinion:
Most people loved it.
Important factors in my choice
(1) Unimportant – (4) Very important
Personal recommendation
I really enjoyed the location of the University. I made friends with other international students from the United States and Japan. But if you want to take classes with actual French students, another university like the Sorbonne may be a better option. But if you want to take courses with other foreign students at the same level as you, the ICP is a good choice. The classes may not have been overly challenging, but at the same time you could miss a few days of class to travel and not fall behind.
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During my experience abroad, I ...
(1) Never – (4) A lot
Became familiar with another culture
Met people from other countries
Experienced a change in life
Advanced my studies & career
Final comments
Have as much fun as possible.
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Christina P
Academic
Course recommendations
I didn't experience courses other than language courses. I didn't have any interaction with local students and felt the grammar course did not challenge me enough. I spoke with my instructor and he tried to challenge me in the course more, but I regret not taking a higher level course.
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My academic experiences
Interaction with teachers
Interaction with international students
Interaction with local students
Personal comments
More interaction with local students, better placement tests
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My opinion of the university assessment
Exams throughout the course
Essays and/or projects at the end of course
Essays and/or projects throughout the course

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Christina P
Languages
Language of instruction: French
Was learning French a key decision factor?
Yes, I wanted to improve my French
How much did you improve your French?
My level before: Everyday knowledge (shopping, directions, etc.)
My level after: At ease in most situations
Language difficulties
Administrative / Institutional
Personal comments
I think my language skills improved a lot from living with a host family. The host university further honed my grammar skills. Yet a lot of people speak English in Paris, so my French perhaps did not improve as much as it could have.
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Christina P
Expenses
Main source of funding:
Other
Other sources of funding:
Family<br>
Personal savings<br>
Other
Work opportunities:
I didn't explore any work options
Personal spending habits
Paris, France is more expensive than Madison, WI. And also when studying abroad I was more prone to dine out, travel, and experience more of the night life. Food and drinks were more expensive and I also did not have the ability to cook my own food.
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Nightlife, Overall, Housing, Food, Travel, Telephone:
was more expensive than at home.
Accessibility of student needs
Second-hand household items
Personal comments
It did surprise me how expensive school supplies, food, clothing was. I would take out larger sums of money from the ATM to avoid service charges from my home bank and then store the money I didn't need to carry around in a safe place in my host family's home.
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Christina P
Housing
Type of housing: With a family
Arranged by: Home university
If returning, I would choose: With a family
Why?
My language skills improved the most during meals with my host family. I learned a lot from my host family and they were very nice. It was nice to have the support of a family while far away from my own friends and family.
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Personal comments
L'Institut Catholique doesn't have its own housing (as far as I know). The options providing by my home university when abroad were to either live alone in a studio or to choose a host family.
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Christina P
Student life
Describe host city:
Students interact with the local community without much university involvement
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Travel, Activities, Nightlife: Takes place mostly within the university/student environment
Personal social experience
Personal comments
Enjoyed spending nights around Saint-Michel/Saint Germain des Pres, O'Neill's English pub, Qui est vous, Polly Magoo (bar near Notre Dame), drinking wine on the Seine
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