La Vie en Lavande: A Summer in Provence Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I wouldn't trade this summer for the world. Going abroad with IES changed my life and made my college experience that much better.

On-site administration of your program

Katy and Marianne were excellent at organizing the program and addressing any problems that may have arisen.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I had the best host family I could ever ask for. My original host family changed at the onsite orientation, and the new one was only supposed to be temporary but ended up lasting for the entire trip. My host mom welcomed me in and treated me like one of her own sons. Homemade food was excellent, and the interactions with her friends and family were priceless. A truly wonderful experience!

Language lunches three times a week gave you the opportunity to tour all the restaurants in Arles while speaking conversationally with your peers. You will never find such good food on a study abroad program, especially for how little it costs compared to how much you are eating. You will also learn more about French dining practices and etiquette.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The staff members will only speak French to you, the courses will be taught exclusively in French, and your host families may not speak English. While this may seem intimidating at first, everyone is there to help you, and you will come to appreciate how good your French will become. The vast amounts of free time encourage you to explore Arles and the region on your own, and, depending on how you approach your stay, you can really feel like a local. Les Rencontres and les Suds are two major international cultural festivals that take place in Arles, so definitely take advantage! Even a simple act like watching the World Cup at the local bar got me to interact with the people of Arles. It was also nice toward the end to meet new people and have them think you were French.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I got food poisoning on a weekend trip to Barcelona, and the medical center in Arles was able to prescribe me antibiotics and other medications.

Arles is about as safe as you will get for a study abroad program. The locals are very friendly and will invite you to great parties and social events if you get to know them. As a cultural thing for girls, European men can be more upfront and direct than Americans, so I would advise anyone to be aware of cultural differences. The town is very fun with frequent musical festivals and bars going well into the late hours of the night, so you will almost always see people out in the main squares at any time of day. However, as with any city, wandering around by yourself at night is not a good idea. Having thus said, there were no safety issues on the trip whatsoever.

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

Spending is what you make of it. You have weekends off, which gives you the opportunity to travel around France and Europe should you choose. There are affordable options for lodging available to students. I would highly recommend booking tickets and making reservations in advanced. As for meals not provided by IES or the host families, you can easily find inexpensive dining options at Monoprix or Carrefour (two large supermarkets), and even dining out in restaurants could be under 15 euros if you don't want to cook.

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

All classes were in French. The IES staff only spoke to us in French and would disrupt our conversations if we broke out into English among each other. Most host families spoke little to no English as well.

Select all that apply

• Host Family
• Apartment

Select all that apply

• Local Students
• Americans
• Host Family

Select all that apply

• Americans
• International Students

• Course selection
• IES staff
• Host families

• Excursions in the beginning and free weekends in the end
• Trip to Marseille

The Nearly Native or Trail Blazer