10/10 Would Recommend Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The university did a great job of evaluating student's skills and placing them in the correct level so they could succeed while still learning new material. The classes were difficult but the professors were amazing at working with students to help them succeed and at explaining topics in different ways so everyone was able to understand.

On-site administration of your program

Vivienne and Nancy were outstanding. They scheduled a lot of fun and interesting activities and excursions for us and were always incredibly helpful. Any time we needed anything they always made themselves available and were willing to help us with everything. They would even help us set up and plan activities on our own that weren't sponsored by CEA. In addition, they planned a lot of activities during the first week to help us get to know Aix-en-Provence and the other students while at the same time keeping us busy so we could assimilate into the French culture and avoid homesickness and culture shock.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The apartment was a lot bigger than I imagined it would be and had all the essentials in it. However, I would have enjoyed more of a kitchen as we cooked for ourselves.

Living in an apartment, we cooked for ourselves, however the selection of food was amazing. There was a farmer's market every morning we could shop at as well as 3 grocery stores and an assortment of boulangeries, patisseries, and charcuteries all within a 10 minute walk. When we did eat out, the food was always amazing.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Aix-en-Provence is a great little city in southern France that is very student oriented. This, along with Vivienne and Nancy's hard work and my classes, really helped me integrate into the culture quickly. After not even one week, I felt like a resident and not a visitor. I also felt like I could easily interact with the permanent residents and even started to be recognized by the staff and some places we frequented.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I didn't experience a health care issue, but the staff on site addressed all the potential problems the first full day we were there and made sure we knew what resources were available for any problem that could occur. In addition, they also addressed mental health issues and made sure we had resources available and knew about them as well.

Aix is a very safe city and not once did I feel unsafe, even walking home at 5 in the morning from the clubs. The streets are very well-lit at night and I never felt unsafe walking by myself at any time of the day or night. Still, I would recommend walking with another person late at night just because it's a smart idea in case anything were to happen.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

2.5 - I could have lived easier than I did while I was there. We went out to eat more than we needed to as we were too lazy to cook a lot of the time. If we would have cooked I could have lived on less than $50/week most likely.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

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• Apartment

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• Americans

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

• The people
• The activities and excursions
• The food

• Bigger kitchen in the apartments

The Avid Adventurer