Intensive, challenging, and amazing program in Aix Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

One of the reasons I chose this program was that I could choose the difficulty of the courses I wanted to take. We were directly enrolled in Aix-Marseille University (which is the local university in Aix), and had direct access to literally any class we wanted to take. This was so cool; I took two psychology classes at the senior level with other French students, participated in the discussion sections and made some French friends. I loved that we were allowed to take any course our heart desired. I took another course on Oral Practices (presenting oral works), and this was such a good way to improve my French skills (in front of native French speakers). I loved the Translation class I took that was provided by Wellesley. It was the perfect amount of challenging and was truly a joy. The program made a tutor available to all of us and had regular check-ins to make sure we were doing ok. It was also incredibly interesting to see the inside of the French University system.

On-site administration of your program

Monique and Magali are simply the best! There's a whole house in the center of Aix that acts as the program "center", and program participants often float in and out to cook meals, have lunch, or to just hang out and do work. It's only French-speaking inside the center! There were always tons of resources, pamphlets, books, etc. scattered around and Magali/Monique's doors were always open to talk. It was lovely always having a little house we could just drop into whenever we wanted.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in a studio apartment right in the center of Aix. I had lived with host families before so I wanted a bit more of an independent feel this time. I had a nice little kitchen and bathroom with a shower. It was quite tiny but it was all I needed. I was right next to the bus station which was INCREDIBLY helpful, especially when there's a direct bus that goes from this bus station to the airport in Marseille. Insanely convenient when you get home on a 12am flight and don't want to walk a mile to get home. The only thing I didn't love is that it was a it loud (it's right on a main road), and very bright. But other than that, I loved my little studio.

It's France, so the food pretty much couldn't get any better. I went to the markets to do my grocery shopping, as there's an outdoor food market pretty much every day. We all received a cultural stipend each month to spend on activities/food/etc. As someone who didn't live in a host family I received quite a bit more money for food. Everything was super fresh and buying organically is often cheaper. My apartment was also right next to a delicious bakery that I ate many croissants at!

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Monique and Magali always encouraged us to make friends at school and participate in activities. There were English/French nights at the local cafe where you could meet up and speak whatever language you want. There's also a cafe called anticafe that had lots of cool events all the time. I loved going to the markets and the little parks. I'd say I felt quite integrated into the French culture but Aix is a total student/tourist city so there's a LOT of people all the time, and it can be hard to find friends in a huge crowd like that, especially at school.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I had to get a refill on some medication and I went right to a doctor and it was only 25$ for the visit. He rewrote my prescription and I got it filled insanely quickly. Such is the healthcare system in France :) Monique/Magali had lots of advice about where you could go (docs, etc.) and who to see. The program also provided weekly group therapy sessions with Chantal, and these were amazing and super helpful.

Aix is safe for the most part, but men in the south of France act different than they do here in the US. So be careful walking around Marseille or Aix at night, especially if they sense you're a foreigner. No major run-ins but be wary of cat-calling.

Everything was just so well thought out in the program. A ton of support, lots of check-ins, and lots of resources distributed to us (group therapy, cultural stipend, cultural allocation for whole semester, group trips, individual check-ins...). Monique and Magali are just so loving and amazing at their job; they've been at it a long time. I love how immersed they wanted us to be, and it truly was that type of experience.

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

I think it's quite easy if you're good at not spending your money all the time. You could easily spend 50 euros at a market for a weeks food. And we didn't go out to eat all that often, just for drinks or maybe to a cafe (which aren't that expensive).

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

We actually we're allowed to speak English during program events/at the program office. We took a language test at the beginning and end of the program to evaluate our progression in French.

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• Dorm
• Apartment

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• Local Students

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• Local Students
• Americans

• Classes
• Program participants/directors
• Aix

• Accessibility to musical instruments
• Aix (it's dirty, large homeless population, large crowds/touristy)
• One of the classes I took that was provided by program

The Avid Adventurer