Center for University Programs Abroad (CUPA)

CUPA's courses that is offers are excellent. The courses I took at Paris IV, was pretty disapointing. I think if I were to go again I would enroll in a Licence level rather than a DEUG level because the quality of the class is often much better. The Sorbonne, however, I found rather traditional in its approach to literature and the lectures not too stimulating. I was, however, able to make some good French friends in my TD (travaux dirigés). and Paris III, on the other hand, was very challenging. The class was large, 50 students, but the professor who has now unfortunately left to the Sorbonne (his name is Patrick Dandrey) was excellent. He was a bit tyrannical but I learned an incredible amount in his course and there was good interaction which is rare in a French university course.

CUPA is small program while you can easily have life with the students on the program, the main emphasis of the program is to make your life in Paris. While this emphasis is an important one, it is often difficult to meet French students specifically if one is shy or less social. While the program encourages many activities that enable you to be in contact with French people, you have to be willing and active to make something happen.

The hours are not very easy to figure out so beware.

I wish that the Sorbonne had been more organized, meaning having proper hours and setting them in stone more than 1 minute before the beginning of the first session of class.

aucun