Nantes is the best city in France Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Courses are all in French and are available through both the IES Center and the University of Nantes. The IES courses were definitely less rigorous than those taught at the University and were structured more like American classes (students are given a syllabus, there is homework as well as multiple tests during the semester). Attendance is mandatory at the IES classes and some took place on Fridays. Professors at the local university were informed that there were American students in the class and would sometimes give the Americans different tests or assignments than the French students. Overall, all of the classes I took helped improve my French and knowledge of French culture.

On-site administration of your program

The IES Nantes administration was very supportive from the moment we got off the train in Nantes. They frequently encouraged us to speak with them about any problems or happy moments we experienced and even held birthday parties every month. They also did their best to make sure we were speaking as much French as possible and organized frequent social activities in Nantes, while keeping in mind that many of us were on a tight budget.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Everyone in the IES Nantes program stays with host families. My host was just one woman and her cat, since her children are grown. She was a great fit for me and I think the IES staff for the most part did a great job matching students and families. We had dinner and watched TV together every week night and she provided me with breakfast in the morning. Before arriving, I was nervous about staying with a host family because I am a vegetarian, but she had no problem accommodating my needs. She allowed me to be very independent and wanted me to feel comfortable in her home. Overall a great experience and excellent French practice!

Most meals were provided by my host mom but I ate lunch at the IES Center every week day and often ate out on weekends. There are boulangeries and supermarkets very close to the IES center so getting lunch was never a problem. And obviously all the food everywhere is delicious because it's France. As I said in the previous comment, being a vegetarian was not at all difficult in Nantes.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Finding French friends was definitely a challenge. I made great friends within the program but having a safety net of fifty other Americans only makes it more difficult to put yourself out there and find a group of French friends. IES organized a conversation group once a week with French and American students to practice speaking English and French and some students would hang out together after the club. I did eventually start to feel like I belonged in Nantes-- I successfully used public transport, navigated French grocery stores, and went to cafes and restaurants like one of the locals (at least I like to think I looked like one of the locals). I fell in love with the city and would move back in a heartbeat!

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I personally did not have any health issues while I was in Nantes but IES made sure we had student health insurance in case of emergency.

We were warned many times about pickpockets and walking alone at night and any other potential threats we might face in the city, but I never encountered any of it. Of course I was always careful with my belongings and stayed in a group at night but I never felt unsafe in Nantes. IES suggests that female students sleep at each other's houses if they are out late at night and my host mom, as well as my friends' host families, were always willing to accommodate an extra person overnight.

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

Most things in Nantes were more expensive than what I was used to paying for them, especially toiletries. Traveling was also a large expense for me, particularly because I visited expensive cities.

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

We were required to speak French at the IES Center and the administration gave us frequent reminders. However, it is obviously easier to speak English with the other American students and, despite my early efforts to speak exclusively French, I did end up frequently reverting to English. I think the best way to avoid this (without having a language contract) is to make sure to find friends or activities outside of IES because then you have no choice but to speak French.

Select all that apply

• Host Family

Select all that apply

• Host Family

Select all that apply

• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

• Friendships
• The city of Nantes
• Host family

• Too much English amongst the students
• IES classes structured like American classes

The Nearly Native or Trail Blazer