Vive La France! Past Review
By Aaron B (ESL, Union University) for
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: French Alps, France
I have nothing but positive things to say about CEA's Grenoble program. My only regret is that I did not branch out enough to practice my own French with native speakers. By the end of my program I learned how to move throughout the city like a true Frenchman, until someone asked me a question and my American accent shined through :) I liked Grenoble so much that, after i graduated in the US, I moved back to teach English as an Assistand d'anglais in a high school near centre ville.
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. |
The university in Grenoble is outstanding. The workload is manageable and very helpful. The instructors are amazing at their jobs! The best language instruction I have ever received. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
My program director was an invaluable part of my study abroad experience. From day one he began the hard task of introducing us to French culture in a very hands-on method. He is very proficient in teaching cultural adaptation. He is a dual-citizen, so he is fluent in french and was always very eager to help out with our language questions. He also didn't treat us students as his 9-5 job, he was available anytime we needed him. A definite highlight to my experience in Grenoble. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in a house that rented out rooms, so it was more of a dormitory/apartment feel. I didn't have much interaction with the other tenants, yet they were all students like myself. My house was a ten minute walk from campus, a 15 minute tram ride from downtown, and right down the street from a great little grocery store. |
| * Food: |
I was on a budget, but it was easy for me to buy food at a decent price. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I was able to experience how the French lived day to day life, which was very interesting to me. It is incredibly easy to hop on a train and go to Paris for the weekend, or Geneva or Barcelona for that matter. My program took us to the Provence region, as well as trips to Paris and Geneva. Tons of fun! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I felt Grenoble to be a very safe city. I never had any problems. I got a cold while i was there and my program director advised me to go the pharmacy. It is MUCH easier to receive medication in France compared to the US. Also a bit cheaper! |
| 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) |
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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
The classrooms were completely multicultural, so English was not the common language, therefore we HAD to speak French. Outside of school it was a bit harder to find people to converse with, but if one is outgoing they could easily find ways to improve his or her language proficiency. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | This program is for all types of students. From the introverted to the extroverted. The university in Grenoble is known for their French language teaching, people come from all over the world to learn. So go to Grenoble to improve your French, make friends, and truly connect to a culture that is not your own. And try not to be "that American" who is loud and insists on speaking English to everyone, because les grenobloblois will not like you very much :) |
