CEA French Riviera--The Best Decision I Have Ever Made Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I would do this program again in a heartbeat if I could--it was the best experience of my life. In regards to the school I attended while abroad: I'm a Communication Studies major, and I ended up getting transfer credit for all 4 classes that I took at SKEMA (the French business school in Sophia Antipolis.) They also offered lots of general education options, too. I suggest that other students also make sure that all credit transfers are taken care of and guaranteed BEFORE he or she leaves for to study abroad. Three of my classes were instructed in English ("Technology, Society, & Environment," "Communication Theory," and "Contemporary French Culture") and then I took Intermediate French, which was obviously instructed in French. None of the classes I took were extremely challenging, and didn't require a lot of extra work (though they were very interesting--especially because in three of the four classes I was one of the only Americans so I got to learn a lot about how French/international students view the world and America.) This lighter workload allowed me to travel a lot on weekends (the Nice Airport is easily accessible and has a lot of cheap flights to all over Europe!) My average class size was about 25 students, which was perfect for meeting new people. SKEMA is around 40% international students, so there are lots of French people in each class, but also people from so many other countries. That was one of the coolest experiences, to be able to meet people from all over the world--I'm still in contact with a lot of them.

On-site administration of your program

I LOVED my on-site program director, Kristin Kerr. She was so helpful and always organized. She was like a mom for all of us students, and was always available when we needed her. The program size was exactly what I was looking for, with 15 students, but the program is supposedly larger in the Spring. I got everything that I wanted and more out of this program.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in an apartment in Antibes with three other CEA students who I'm now really good friends with. Everything was provided for us in the apartment (sheets, cookware, etc.) which was so convenient. I loved the apartment I lived in, and we went to the beach almost every day when it was hot enough (mostly September through mid October) because it was about a 7-minute walk away. There were only 15 students in my CEA group and they all lived in apartments around Antibes also (not all in the same building), except for one girl who did a home-stay. Antibes is a beautiful small town, everything is within walking distance, and it's only a 20-30 minute (4 euro) train ride away from Nice and Cannes. Even the train ride was about 5 minutes walking distance from my apartment. My roommates and I definitely lucked out with our apartment placement. Also, a town called Juan-les-Pins is literally a 1 minute and 30 second train ride away (just one stop- we timed it haha) to go to clubs and fun nightlife, if you want to mix it up from Antibes' more low-key bar scene. To get to school we took the bus from a stop that was maybe 5 minutes from my apartment, except it was about a 20-minute ride to school (SKEMA, in Sophia Antipolis.) That was kind of annoying at first but I got used to it right away. All you need is some good music on your iPod, or just listen in to all of the French conversations around you--I miss that so much!

THE FOOD IS SO GOOD EVERYWHERE!! There is definitely something for everyone, with such a large variety in different types of foods and different price ranges. One of my roommates was allergic to gluten, and there conveniently was an organic store accross the street from our apartment that served to her dietary needs.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Our program had so many amazing excursions planned for us (and included in the overall price.) I learned so much though the different trips to various parts of France, and it was extremely helpful to have them already set up. Our amazing program director also set up different events to help us relieve any homesickness that we had, like a Halloween pumpkin carving, dinners, wine and cheese nights, winetasting, etc. I have so many priceless memories thanks to each of these events and field trips.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I felt very safe living in Antibes because it is such a small, quaint village. Though everyone still needs to be very cautious of strangers, as long as you are street smart it is a very comfortable, safe neighborhood.

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

I took a few French classes before I'd left the US, so while I knew some French, it wasn't the best at the beginning. Almost everyone (especially from my generation) speaks English so communicating was never a big issue. I made many good French friends in my classes who tried to force me to speak French to help me learn it, which ended up actually working in the end! To become fluent in French while living in the French Riviera you really have to go out of your way and work to learn the language. It's so beneficial in the end, you just have to put in the extra effort!

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• Apartment

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• Americans

• The location, the program field trips and events, the food, the language

• Language immersion classes, pre-departure advice from previous CEA students