Best Semester of College! April 04, 2022

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The classes were moderately difficult, especially if you take a few at SKEMA Business School, but none were too hard. The IES teachers were very accessible, especially our French teacher who offered to spend extra time with students who were beginners or intermediate in French. The IES classes are located in the city center, so it's very easy to get to. SKEMA is about a 45 min bus ride away in Sophia Antipolis—a bit of a trek but it's hard to complain when you get to ride along the Mediterranean Sea during your commute. SKEMA has plenty of other international students you can meet from the U.S., but also Canada, Morocco, China, and others. The professors I had at SKEMA were all either actively engaged in research or had entrepreneurial pursuits while they were teaching, so they gave real advice and stories from their experiences.

On-site administration of your program

Overall positive experience with the on-site administration. Both the program director and student coordinator were welcoming, and enthusiastic, and replied to emails and texts quickly. It's clear that they put a lot of effort into planning the excursions to other parts of France, which was my favorite part of the program.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Extremely satisfied with the housing arrangements. IES found me a top-floor 2-bed, 1-bath apartment with a terrace, a 25 min walk from the beach! It had sun all day long and a gorgeous view of the city with the mountains in the background. My neighbors were a mix of elderly people and families with young children.

I lived across from a French bakery, so I had a lemon meringue tart or a French baguette almost every day. Nice is a train away from Italy (you can go for dinner and be back by 11 pm), so the cuisine is beautifully Italian-influenced.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The student affairs coordinator plans the excursions to learn about the culture, so we got to visit local historical villages with a tour guide, meet with French students our age, and attend a cooking class to learn how to make Nicoise dishes. My advice would be to go on as many excursions as possible and practice your French with locals! It's easy to stick with the Americans in your group, but Nice is a very international city so don't be afraid to meet new people.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

When I got sick and let the program director know, she quickly dropped off a COVID test at my apartment and the student affairs coordinator helped me schedule a doctor's visit with an English-speaking doctor. During this semester, a "pass sanitaire" was required in France for activities like going to the movies, visiting museums, and going to bars. This pass served as proof of full vaccination or a recent negative COVID test. However, the rules have since changed as of March 2022 so the pass sanitaire is no longer required.

I personally didn't have any issues with the safety and neither did anyone in my program. Our program director gave us an emergency phone number in case we ever felt in danger. I will say that if you identify as female, Nice is a city so just be careful at night and always stay with a group like you would in any other city!

• The program is located in a beautiful city on the Mediterranean Sea with perfect weather • The administrators were always available to help and encouraged us to make the most of our experience • The excursions to other French towns gave me the opportunity to appreciate and learn about French history and culture • The food was delicious (so much Italian food and so many good pastries) • It is really easy to visit nearby beach towns and even take the train into Italy, as well as fly to other countries from the Nice airport • The city is big enough that you always have new places to explore, but not overwhelming or too crowded

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

My spending was on the higher end because I wanted to try a lot of new foods, experiences, and travel to other countries/cities. However, it really is up to you how much you spend per week because I think you can get a lot out of Nice without spending much. Groceries were about the same as in the U.S., museums are free for students, the walk to the beach is free, and the train rides to nearby towns are only 2-5 euros. Prices do get higher when it comes to restaurants, bars, and clubs because Nice does attract a lot of tourists especially in the late summer if you are studying there in the fall.

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

I spoke French almost every day, even if it was just to a waiter or storekeeper.

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• Apartment

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• Americans

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

• Location on the Mediterranean!
• Beautiful weather
• The FOOD

• A definitive semester schedule before arrival

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