Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

The best semester ever in Grenoble France Past Review

By (French, Saint Michaels College) for

AIFS: Grenoble - University of Grenoble - French Language and Culture and Intensive French Language

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It was the most amazing time of my life. It depended my love of the french language. It has changed me so much as a person and helped me grow in so many ways. I now know that i am a strong enough person to just get on a plane and go to a foreign country and be not only happy but able to live their happily. I love the french way of life and cannot wait to go back.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The workload was not over whelming. There were worksheets that needed to be completed to reinforce what we had learned earlier in class. Teaching method was good, I loved my professor, he was awesome. We would sing songs in language lab to increase our comprehension. The grading system was definitely different but it wasn't hard to adjust to at all.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

I LOVED my program director. She was awesome. She was the most helpful person i have ever met. Any question i had she either had the answer to or could help me find the answer to. She had lived in Grenoble for 20+ years so she had an amazing knowledge of the area and of the people. All of my expectations were met and it was the best semester of my life.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My host family was awesome. They were so nice and the awkwardness of living in their house faded in the first day. I had 3 host siblings who were the sweetest things ever. My neighborhood was awesome, it was just outside of Grenoble which just meant that i had to factor in a little more travel time but that didn't affect me. I didn't have to buy anything, they had everything ready for me. My family let me right in and i felt like part of the family.

* Food:

I love french food. LOVE it. There's a crepe restaurant off of tram stop victor hugo on the B or A lines and it's got a green veranda and it's delicious. If you go to grenoble, go there.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Our provence trip and paris trips were amazing. wine tasting was delicious and so much fun while going to see mamma mia in paris was awesomely fun.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

It was very safe. I got very sick towards the middle of my stay with Mono and my program director came with me to my doctor appointments until i felt comfortable enough to go alone.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Finances

* 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)

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Language acquisition improvement?

The best way to improve language skills is to only speak the language. The more i spoke english the less i was getting out of my time abroad. Looking back on it now i wish that i had signed a pact with myself to not speak any english at all. My host family was so wonderful dealing with my mistakes and my professors helped to reinforce all of the grammar i have learned over the years. I used french every single day and it was so awesome. Most everyone did have a basic comprehension of english which was helpful and comforting to know.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Our program director Miranda. Love her.
  • My host family. Wish I still lived with them.
* What could be improved?
  • More pushing for staying for a year
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Go. Speak as much french as possible and eat as much food as possible. French people are awesome and their culture is amazing. Take the time to really get to know your city. It could be the only time you'll ever be local in a foreign land.