A transformative experience! Past Review
By Genevieve (University of Vermont) - abroad from 01/09/2019 to 05/04/2019 with
IES Abroad: Nantes - French Language Immersion & Area Studies
It was incredibly worthwhile-- I grew intellectually and in my confidence, and met so many wonderful individuals.
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. |
Most students in the program take 3-4 classes at the IES center with the other American students, plus 1-2 classes at University of Nantes. I loved the IES classes- they were small, interactive, and gave opportunities for field trips. All were conducted in French, and while this seems daunting, it was very positive. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
IES does a really great job of making sure that every step of the process is understood (e.g., Visa process). |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Every student in this IES program lives in a homestay. I had a great experience with my homestay, which in my case was one woman. Some students lived with families with four or five kids, though. So, the host family experience definitely varies person-to-person and the level of interaction and closeness a student has with their family ranges. The families don't speak English with the students, but in most cases they are super welcoming and understanding of challenges with this. |
| * Food: |
It's French food, what can I say! :) |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt very integrated in the local culture-- due to our professors being from the community, the opportunity to take classes at local universities, and various organized events with students from the area. My friends and I also made sure to get out in the city and see some local things. Nantes is a very accessible and fun city, teeming with young people! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
This wasn't super relevant to my experience. |
| * Safety: |
Nantes was very safe, and IES made sure to cover safety measures well. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
Nantes is overall cheaper than where I live in the U.S.-- things (except peanut butter) were very affordable. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Probably around $100. This is something I'd planned for because the host family provides breakfast every day and dinner 5/week, but the other dinners (on weekends, mostly) and lunch everyday are on us. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Buy easy lunch ingredients at the beginning of the week, stash them in the IES fridge and make lunch there everyday! You'll save a lot of money. |
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 |
All classes were in French, we could only speak French in the IES building, and host families only spoke French with us. If students wanted to speak English on their own, that's their choice-- but most students were good about sticking to French. The only thing I think could be improved is having students sign a language contract at the beginning that requires them to only speak French, as there were definitely instances where I wished (on field trips, etc.) more students spoke French. |
| 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? | An advanced French Writing Workshop (100-level) |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Try to minimize the amount of English movies/tv shows/youtube videos you consume, because even exposure like that could minimize your language acquisition. |
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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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? | It's not that scary :) |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
