A Semester Well Spent Past Review
By Hannah (Scripps College) - abroad from 08/29/2019 to 12/13/2019 with
IES Abroad: Nantes - French Language Immersion & Area Studies
My French skills improved so much over the course of the semester. I am definitely not ow fluent, but I can successfully navigate day-to-day life in the city *en français*. I learned a lot about the differences between French and American lifestyles and cultures and gained a better understanding of cultural differences. I also learned a lot about the French education system thanks to the teaching internship. seminar
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I decided to study abroad in Nantes because I wanted to get to France in a city where I would constantly be pushed to practice my French, and I was interested in gaining valuable work experience through the teaching internship. I got everything I wanted out of the program and more! I made so many wonderful friends in my program with whom I shared some amazing experiences as we got to know the city of Nantes and France as a whole. I enjoyed my classes and extracurriculars, bonded with my host family, and fell in love with the city of Nantes. |
Finances
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* 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) |
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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Definitely try cooking meals in the IES kitchen, eating out and buying pre-prepared meals can really add up! There are also plenty of decent thrift shops scattered around the town if you need to stock up on things like winter clothes. The monthly transportation pass is kinda pricey, so if you can get by with just walking places and buying a few single ride bus/metro passes for the month, definitely consider trying that! Also, if you want to travel to nearby cities, check out blabla car or some of the buses (flixbus, ouibus); those TGV tickets can be expensive! |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Upper division French course |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Try to speak French with the other Americans in the program as much as you can, even though it's easier to just switch to English! Also talk with your host family as much as you can, take advantage of those dinner time conversations each night. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I knew more about how different it would feel to live with a host family while also being a full time college student and trying to explore as much of the city/country as I could. I was so much busier than I expected with academics, activities, and excursions on top of trying to make time to get to know my host family and practice my French with them. I also wish I had known about how much busier the second half of the semester is for the IES Nantes program. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
