IES Nantes is a family. Past Review
By A student (French and Marketing, Southern Methodist University) - abroad from 09/01/2013 to 12/21/2013 with
IES Abroad: Nantes - French Language Immersion & Area Studies
I gained a confidence in my French speaking ability, and the drive to make that last step from advanced speaking to fluency. I also gained a group of French friends and family who believe in me and would support me if I choose to return.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Rigorous courses, excellent and passionate professors, great orientation and field trips, quality internship opportunities, kind and welcoming host families. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program maintains strong ties with Université de Nantes. This means that some of the best professors in town teach at IES- and they love it there! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family is one of my most treasured connections abroad. They welcomed me like a daughter into their home, and made sure that I felt like a part of everything the family did. They were located 30 minutes from the IES Center, but right next to the university where students could take courses. |
| * Food: |
Excellent restaurant options, killer bakeries. Definitely try a crêperie, where you can eat savory and sweet crêpes for low prices. Some of my favorite food was the meals prepared by my host mother for dinner. I would have given food 5 stars except that (like much of France), eating out is expensive. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We were in our own little group of Americans with our own Center, but all of the program administrators were French and spoke only French with us. My host family made me feel very connected to their culture, but there isn't much direct interaction with French students. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Health issues were addressed appropriately by the administration. I came down with a very persistent cold, and a staff member called to book a doctor's appointment for me. The doctor was one block away and spoke some English. |
| * Safety: |
While I was there, I didn't witness any violence. However, it is a big city (the capital of Pays-de-la-Loire), and there are some things students have to be aware of. You need to travel in groups, especially at night, and have to get back to your homestay before the bus system closes down. IES staff were very helpful with advice on how to stay safe. |
| 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) |
You are responsible for two dinners a week, and all your lunches. This means that you have to buy a week of groceries for lunches (which you can prepare yourself at the IES Center), and go out for dinner twice. The groceries are cheap, but it is pretty expensive to go out (10 euros gets you a burger fries and a drink at a fast-food chain). The other thing is if you are placed in a home stay further away from city center, you will need to buy a bus pass for about 30 euros per month. You are also required to purchase a cell phone and maintain a phone plan. That's about 20 euros a month if you want unlimited calling within France. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I think I spent a little under $100 a week. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Bring your own clothing. Clothing is very expensive in France. You will not end up buying anything extraordinary, you will just pay extraordinary prices. I didn't bring a formal occasion dress and it was very hard to find one. Also, bring your own umbrella, since a good one costs quite a bit. |
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 |
They threatened to turn off the Wifi if we spoke English in the Center. So we only spoke French. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | FREN 4370- An advanced senior-level course. |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Try to speak it with your friends as much as you can! I also suggest reading a fun book in French (I just finished the Hunger Games), and to watch French movies without subtitles. You will need several websites while you are there: wordreference.com larousse.fr (Buy the translation app from Larousse for your phone! It works without WiFi) conjugation-fr.com conjuguemos.com |
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? | Quite a few things. I guess a good one is that French people don't wear rainboots. I brought them, and they took up a lot of space, and I just looked silly. Don't overpack, but also don't underpack. You'll need things you wish you had. |
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! |
