Institut Catholique de Paris

The accomodations were excellent for stundents. It was very clean, comfortable and very Parisian! The location was at the quartier latin, a hub for French intellectual students. It was exactly what I was looking for.

That a summer program really is not long enough. I think a year or semester would have sufficed.

There were more social activities than academic, which I think is justified given the short duration. It is quite expensive. Perhaps, I would have gone through a community college as opposed to a major university, in order to curb fees and expenses.

The representation of students from over a hundred countries was breathtaking and quite interesting, indeed. However, since it was a summer course, there really was no interaction at all with native Parisian students. I did not have the opportunity to practice my French with many natives.

A summer abroad program is not enough. It merely whetted my appetite. Striving for more, I set off for my own wondrous journey throughout France and the rest of Europe. A few years later, I came back to do a work exchange program in London. Now that I am finally finished, I am interested in pursuing German, by working in Zurich, hopefully, in a field geared towards social change.

Nightlife and telephone bills really caught up with me in the end. Since one is in a new, exciting, vibrant city, nightlife is important. Also, since I was not working in Paris, I had no extra income. Travel, in general, is cheaper in Europe and the opportunities are greater. Food did not amount to much since our facilities came equipped with a kitchen, a definate plus when considering longer-term accomodations.