A perfect semester with AIFS in Grenoble Past Review
By Adrienne A (French Studies., Saint John Fisher College) - abroad from 01/14/2015 to 05/15/2015 with
AIFS: Grenoble - University of Grenoble - French Language and Culture and Intensive French Language
Personally, living abroad was a growing experience. In the face of linguistic and cultural barriers, I overcame adversity and frustration to meet the end goal. I developed patience, not only with others, but with myself. Some things did not come easy to me, especially in the classroom and I was frustrated with myself oftentimes. Learning a second language, surrounded by native speakers who sometime switch to English despite your best efforts, can put someone down and discourage them. I learned to keep going, keep practicing and every day I became better and better. Budgeting and time management were two very important skills I developed overseas as well.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
School was amazing, I actually enjoyed going to class, though sometime they were challenging. Having classes with students from Greece, Italy, China, Taiwan was one of the coolest experiences ever and the professors were super helpful and supportive. All of my professors were available before and after class to answer our questions and even via e-mail. Being exposed to French every single day at school improved my French immensely. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
AIFS was amazingly helpful to me as I transitioned to living with a French family and throughout the entire semester. The resident director is one of the most amazing people I have ever met. Whenever I got sick, she offered to come with me to the doctor's appointment she set up for me. She was available via call, text or in person whenever I needed someone to talk to about homesickness, family troubles, or even just what we learned in class. She also always let us know when there was an event or a trip going on so we can take part. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I loved my host family. Even though I was a bit apprehensive at the beginning, it all worked out great. My host mother and father were amazing and I got along with the children perfectly. They all helped me with my speaking, listening and comprehension and my host sisters even helped me with questions I had on my French homework and I helped them with questions they had on their English homework. I had my own room and desk with wifi. I had access to a washer and dryer as well as a full bathroom. |
| * Food: |
Meals in America are very different than in France, which I knew before but I was not totally prepared. I am referring to sizes and times. breakfast is pretty much the same but lunch there is the biggest/most important meal of the day. However, I was at school when my family ate lunch and I would only have a small sandwich from the school to save money. Dinner was smaller, whereas in America it is the biggest meal, so oftentimes I was very hungry and night! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The city is pretty easy to navigate (I have a weird love for its tram system) and has many means of transportation like the tram, bikes available to rent, buses and trains. Our resident director did a great job letting us know when things were happening around the city and the university did so as well so there was ample opportunity to explore. The city is not too big so it was relatively easy to know the hot spots and find the hidden gems of the city. Students from all over the world study in Grenoble so there was a huge student population. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Healthcare was easily accessible. I fell sick a few times. In Grenoble it was super easy, all I had to do was ask our resident director for help and sh would set up an appointment. I got sick again on vacation in Marseille and the people I was staying with suggested their family doctor and I got an appointment that day. I gave all my receipts and prescription papers to my resident director and I was able to be compensated for a lot of the costs. At home I'm used to waiting days before I can see a doctor but in France it was very quick. My host family also showed me a lot of homeopathic remedies which I still use today. |
| * Safety: |
The city was very secure, but still try not to walk alone at night, travel in groups or pairs. Make sure you have your host family's phone number and you have a means to contact them, a friend or your resident director if an emergency arises. |
| 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) |
it is possible to spend very little in Grenoble, things are not too expensive. Eating breakfast and dinner with a host family definitely helped me save some money. I would save up during the week(s) leading up to a trip so I'd have money to buy food, travel and any emergency that would pop up. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | around 50-75 USD |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Start saving immediately, do some fundraising, stop unnecessary spending at home and abroad |
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 |
Living with a host family required me to speak and listen to the language day in and day out and 3 out of 4 of my classes were conducted entirely in French, the other class was a translation course, from English to French. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 200 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? | Listen to French music, radio and watch French films to get a feel for how the language sounds. Practice whenever you can, even if it's just talking inside your own head. It really makes the transition from thinking in English to thinking in French easier. |
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? | Before leaving, I didn't know what my host family was going to be like or even their name! Knowing how to ski would have been nice too. |
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! |
