Cannes I please go again? Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I loved my teachers abroad. They were incredibly kind and encouraging, and they made going to class an enjoyable experience (and that's something to be said since I had classes at 9 am every morning, 5 days a week). The classes, themselves, aren't extremely difficult. It's more about putting in an effort, and you focus on your speaking skills which is great. My three hour French class each morning was usually us just talking about movies or our respective cultures - all in French. At the end of the day, that was the most helpful.

On-site administration of your program

Sandrine and Aude are the absolute best. Sandrine is AIFS's resident director, so her job is to make sure the AIFS students are doing okay. This means everything from planning excursions (trips to Monaco, France's version of the Grand Canyon - the Verdon Gorge, museums, etc) to helping us find internships with the Cannes Film Festival (she found me an awesome one where I got to use my journalism major) to helping us out in tough situations.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

You have the option of either a home-stay or a dorm. I went for the dorm, which is pretty standard except you're living not only with Americans, but international students from everywhere. The rooms are nice, bright, and most of them have views out onto the Mediterranean. My only complaint would be the wifi, which often decides to not work. But hey, you're not in France to hang out in your dorm room on your computer.

I'm not a picky eater, so I thought the cafeteria food was good. It's what you'd expect from a college dining hall, honestly. But brunch on the weekends - that's the best. Eggs, bacon, chocolate croissants, crepes, fruits, baguettes, you name it - it's there.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

It's what you make of it. AIFS puts you in contact with other French students, like the language exchange where you meet with a French person a few times a week to speak English and French. AIFS gives you plenty of opportunities, so it's just up to you to make the most of them.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

One of my friends got a really bad kidney infection, late on a Sunday night, and I had to rush off with her in an ambulance to a hospital. The school was helpful in setting up the ambulance, and our resident director, Sandrine, took care of all the hospital forms and made what could have been a really stressful situation into something easy.

Cannes is like most European cities - you've got to be smart and self aware. Always have someone else with you and make good decisions regarding drinking and going out at night. AIFS goes over a lot of safety instructions when you first get into Cannes, so we had a good idea of how to act. No one in my group experienced any major safety problems in Cannes, but again, just always be self aware and don't put yourself in bad situations.

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

It's Europe. It's going to be pricier than in the States. You have to prioritize what's important to you - whether it's traveling, eating out, going out, etc. Just don't plan on too much shopping on the Croisette.

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

They encouraged a lot through our classes. The school workers would only speak to us in French and they helped us set up language exchanges with French people in tow.

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• Dorm

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• Americans

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• Americans
• International Students

• Location was amazing (you can't beat that beach)
• AIFS's resident director is extremely helpful
• Awesome excursions

• Campus wifi
• Cafeteria food