With our time in Paris winding to a close, I thought I’d talk about some of the pros and cons of aspects of the program: believe me, everybody’s got an opinion. Here are a few of them:

Our residence hall is a popular focus for complaints. There are two halls. Ours is called Kellermann. The number one complaint here is the food. When we paid for the program, we paid for dinner at Kellermann Monday through Thursday night. Night after night of cafeteria food has driven some to wonder why there wasn’t an option to not pay for the cafeteria dinners and find themselves dinner in Paris. Sounds like a good idea to me. That way those people who can’t stand unsalted mashed potatoes, overcooked vegetables and a portion of mystery meat every night wouldn’t feel obligated to eat at Kellermann.

There’s a tie for second place for most annoying among the noise, the size of the bathrooms and the huge groups of children who often reside at Kellermann. Breakfasts are free every morning, but when you stumble downstairs for your daily intake of bread, butter, jam, yogurt, hard boiled egg and coffee it’s discouraging to find yourself behind a chattering group of 70 kids, to say the least. Perhaps if the cafeteria supplied us with big steaming mugs of American coffee, I could summon up some more patience. Oh well.

The residence hall itself is something like a dorm. No, it’s exactly like a dorm. Most of us share a small 15 meter square room with another person. Those who wanted to pay an extra $400 have the same amount of space, but don’t have to share it. We also share an even smaller one-meter square bathroom. The bathroom is definitely a feat of engineering seemingly made from a single plastic mold and not-so-lovingly referred to as “the pod.” In order to start the shower, you have to turn on the sink and then pull up the central knob between the hot and cold knobs. If you’re standing at the sink, the shower will get you wet when it comes on.

All in all Kellermann beats sleeping on the streets or on the Noctambus, but I think many of the participants from De Anza and Foothill were expecting more. In my opinion, students shouldn’t be spending much time at Kellermann, anyway. We’re in Paris; after all! The dorm room should be simply for sleeping and washing up. For those things, it’s acceptable at the least.

When we first arrived, I also heard there was some dissatisfaction with the environment in which we take classes. ACCENT, the company that works with the De Anza/Foothill district to facilitate the study abroad program, also provides classroom space and arranges field trips and other outings. I think some of the students were expecting something more Parisian, something more old world.

Part of this miscommunication probably came from ACCENT’s Web site on which they discuss taking classes at Paris’ famous medieval university, the Sorbonne. Perhaps they arrange for some groups to take classes there, but ours wasn’t one of them, nor did I talk to anyone who took classes there. When we arrived in Paris and were confronted with the usual beige carpets, whiteboards and plastic chairs, a few students were disappointed.

The best part of what ACCENT does has nothing to do with its offices, though. Erin, the Paris office’s programs coordinator arranges great field trips to areas outside of Paris. Seeing the beaches at Normandy, Mont Saint Michel and Rouen (where the English burned Joan of Arc) were invaluable experiences. I feel I’ve learned as much from them as I have from the more traditional classes.

The number one complaint about living in Paris itself is the smoking. By far this is the most annoying aspect of living in Europe. This is, of course, true only for those of us who don’t smoke. Otherwise, I imagine, it’s paradise. Parisians smoke in restaurants at the table next to yours, at cafes, bars, brasseries, nightclubs, parks, and subways.

Closely following the smoke, there is the issue of French men who are too forward. Slapping women’s butts, coming in too close when they’re talking with women, taking liberties while dancing and generally irritating American women is prevalent. No one’s come to any real harm that I know of, but this behavior has upset men and women alike in our group.

I don’t want to dissuade anyone who wants to participate in this program. It’s a great way to see Paris within an American contest. What I hope is that students will choose to go with their eyes wide open and will know how to make their experience in Paris the most it can be. My advice is to spend a lot of time in Paris rather than in your room.

See everything you can. Use the museum card that ACCENT supplies, which allows students access to the hundreds of museums in Paris until it dissolves from overuse. Plan on treating yourself to great meals on the weekends and go out to clubs. If you don’t speak much French, make friends within the group, if you do, spend time talking to strangers in cafés. This ancient city is there for you to explore. Make it count.

Chris Pommier is former La Voz Editor-in-Chief and is participating in the Study Abroad program in France.