2 Months in Aix-en-Provence with CEA: The Experience of a Lifetime Past Review

By (International Management, McGill University) for

CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Aix-en-Provence, France

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
- Gained opportunity to immerse myself in French culture and practice the language on a daily basis - Learned about French traditions, values, food, culture etc. - Gained some of the best memories that I'll carry with me for life

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

- Workload was manageable and fair - Teaching method involved participation from the whole class and encouraged free-flowing discussions - Grading system is different to that in North America but reflects fairly on ability - Professors were knowledgeable, approachable and willing to help

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

- Support services provided by CEA was INCREDIBLE - Staff was extremely friendly, involved and committed to making the experience the best that it could be - No shortage of excursions and other activities being organized so you can be assured that you'll never be left without something to do! - If you have any questions, concerns or ideas for activities/outing, the program coordinators are very approachable and will do everything they can to help you out - This was by far the best aspect of the program - all my expectations were met.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

- Host family was also amazing and treated me as part of the family - Did their best to accommodate food requests - Comfortable living quarters and good internet - Host family was very willing to help me with my French and answer any general questions I had about France and its culture, people etc.

* Food:

Aix has a huge selection of places to eat and drink. Definitely worth exploring!

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Large variety of activities were organized and they were all extremely well run. Examples of activities: - Wine-tastings - Salsa classes - Cultural & historical visits - Beach excursions - Olive oil tastings - Concert in a Colosseum!

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

- Aix was pretty safe overall - Just be careful when staying out drinking late at night: As with anywhere, there is the risk of fights or arguments breaking out

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?

- Language was practiced mainly in class and with host families - There is a need to use French on a daily basis in cafes, restaurants, shops, bars etc. - Very important to minimize speaking English with fellow coursemates!

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?
  • Social and cultural activities/excursions
  • Chance to live with host family
  • Chance to live in Aix-en-Provence
* What could be improved?
  • Even more organized activities
  • Introduce language activities outside of classes
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? EVERYONE that has the opportunity to do this program should do it!