Study Abroad in France with API!
API has partnered with the Centre Universitaire d'Etudes Francaises (CUEF) at Universite Stendhal to offer a unique study abroad program in the south of France. Students will immerse themselves in French culture while honing their language speaking abilities. The Universite Stendhal is one of the oldest universities in Europe (est. 1339). Today, the university is well known for its French language learning programs and continues to welcome foreign students from all over the world.
Grenoble is located in the south of France in the famous French Alps. Switzerland, Italy, Monaco and the Mediterranean coast are all a bus/train ride away. Many students have come and enjoyed the great skiing and winter sports in the area. If you enjoy the outdoors then studying abroad in Grenoble is perfect!
Reviews
90%Overall
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90%Overall
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All my life I've dreamed of seeing the world outside my New England city, so when I decided to study abroad, I dove in head first- the full academic year. I chose API Grenoble first and foremost for the price; a year in France was a little LESS than a year at my home university. Who can say no to that? I coulnd't! However, after looking further into the program I realized it was perfect. The location, the school, the excursions, it seemed flawless- and to my surprise, it basically was! I studied from Fall 2010 to Spring 2010, and I lived with a host family in a small suburb set higher up in the Alps just outside the city. It was absolutely beautiful and my family was so charming and welcoming, I felt as if I were at home (if home were a dream set in the French Alps of course..)My daily commute to class was easy- my house was about a two minute walk to the bus stop, which brought you directly to the tram, which then brought me right to campus. On warm mornings, it was even as easy as a walk through town to the nearest tram stop. My classes were engaging and intellectual, with fun and interesting teachers genuinely interested in your learning. After a day of class I returned home to some fresh home-cooked French cuisine prepared by my host mom (or sometimes slightly burnt, but equally French cuisine prepared by my host brother.. it's the thought that counts!) With its central location in regards to surrounding countries, weekends brought trips to Switzerland and Italy, and longer vacations and a hop on a plane brought Ireland or a train to Belgium or the Netherlands. Or for a weekend at home, a easy stroll or a grueling hike up the Alps was always appealing, with a trail leading right from my back yard. I'm not the first person you should ask about the social scene in town because I can't honestly say I participated in it too much, but the few times I did, I was never let down. The city has such a young population so there's always something exciting to do and new friends to make, whether it be at a local bar, restaurant or board-game cafe. Being a year student, I feel I had an advantage over semester students in getting a real hold of the language and the culture. After getting over the culture shock (if you experience any, it wasn't too bad for me) and the realization that "Yes, this is real. I live in France. I live in the Alps. This if my life" the semester goes by quick. It's like, just when you get settled you have to pack up and go home. But for me, all I had to do was move my belongings into a corner, frolic around Europe for a few weeks, then settle back into my French way of life. The second semester brought hardly any nerves with school, my family, and travelling, and on top of all that, it brought lasting friendships. I met people who I would consider some of my closest friends, who I would have never met had I not studied abroad. Thinking back over the year, I can't recall any major difficulties I encountered that would be of interest to potential students. I had a few personal health problems, but even that was taken care of by the program. The resident directors and the students were like a second family, besides my host fmaily. If anything went wrong at all, whether it was a flight cancellation, thus weekend plans uprooted, academic problems, problems back home, personal issues, anything at all and API was there. I never felt lost or alone, there was always someone to help. Choosing to study abroad with API Grenoble was definitely the best decision I have made to date and I would recommend it to (and I have!) anyone who is even remotely interested in going abroad!
90%Overall
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Overall, I loved my time in France. API facilitated exciting trips to cities around Grenoble like Annecy and Geneva, and we visited famous sites within Grenoble as well.
The classes themselves were a lot easier than I expected, for there was little to no homework in each section. We would do about 4 hours of class a day, then take the tram into the city to get lunch and hang out. It didn't matter that the classes weren't hard; trying to get around using my limited French was lesson enough. I have never been so tired and challenged (in a good way).
The city of Grenoble itself was interesting. At the time, rioters were clashing with police, so there was an air of unrest around town. As a woman, I did not feel safe going out at night: ESPECIALLY ALONE. Don't do it.
By far, the best part of my trip was my host family. I was placed with a family of two parents and four boys, and they were incredible. They took me on hikes, rock climbing excursions and trips to the gorgeous mountains surrounding the city. They made this trip with their patience and excitement for me.
100%Overall
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My experience in Grenoble was amazing! and API made it that way. I was placed with the perfect family and was surrounded by cool and fun people the entire time. I was enrolled in the language intensive program and thought it was great. There was class for four hours monday through friday. It sounds a little crazy but the teachers are really nice and they make the class interesting. I learned a lot about familiar french and the culture and we even had a few field trips! I stayed in Grenoble close to five months and I could see and hear my french speaking skills improve each week. I would recommend API Grenoble to any person that asks.
100%Overall
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Studying in Grenoble, France was the best decision I could have made. I wanted to improve my French abroad, but I decided Paris wasn't the city for me as I knew it was possible to get around speaking English there.
Grenoble was perfect because the locals were so welcoming and were quite patient with our developing French. They were also interested in why we were in Grenoble and how we liked it. We easily made friends with French college students by accidentally becoming language buddies. Many of our conversations were bilingual and it was an amazing experience.
Going to a university in France was an interesting experience. It was the complete opposite of my home university and took some getting used to. However, it was a learning experience and taught me a lot about myself and my learning styles.
As for API, I could not have chosen a better program. My program manager in the US was incredibly helpful during the entire application and pre-departure process. She answered my numerous emails and was quick to get me any documents that I might have been missing. My resident directors in Grenoble were the sweetest women and took good care of us. They were a phenomenal resource adjusting to France and provided invaluable advice on getting along with our host families.
In all honesty, I would not have changed anything about my study abroad location. While a challenging experience, it ended up being incredibly positive. The combination of API and Grenoble was perfect for me and I wished I spent an entire year there.
80%Overall
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I loved my experience with API Grenoble - I learned French, I made lifelong friends, and I experienced something I will never forget. I recommend studying abroad to just about everyone now, because it had such a positive impact on my college career. If I could, I would certainly do it all over again.
The residential staff was fantastic; for the week of orientation in Paris, I got to know the other people on my program because of the fantastic cultural activities we participated in, like visiting the top of Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower. We also had ample free time to get to know each other, so I didn't feel like I was in a summer camp, constantly supervised. Once we got to Grenoble, the residential staff helped us with everything like reimbursing us for taxi money, making doctor's appointments if we were sick, and counseling us if we had any personal problems. Their office really was a home away from home.
My host family was a fabulous experience - API somehow matched me with the perfect host family for my wants and needs. In my house, I was free to come and go as I wished, but at the same time, I had dinner with my family every night (fantastic home cooked traditional French dishes) and my host mother would ask me what I did everyday, just like my actual mother would. When I got sick, my host mom drove me to doctor's appointments and brought my dinner down to me in my room, which was very considerate, considering I wasn't her actual child.
The academics were the only thing lacking in this program. My grammar teacher was retiring the next year, and perhaps that's why it was somewhat lackluster, but whenever we were assigned homework, it wasn't a necessity that we have it done the next day, if at all. I learned French because of the constant exposure to it everyday, not because of what I learned in school (However, I'm sure that helped.). The electives were a bit more rigorous, but not by much. The point is, I got what I wanted: a carefree semester to travel around Europe, because I had enough academic freedom to do so.
The Grenoble night life was very lively and frankly, I loved it. Everything started Wednesday night and ended Friday night, which was fine by me. Everyone downtown was very nice and helpful, and I always had an interesting conversation with someone new every time I went out. It was a great experience! I felt safe because I had a group of people I went out with, as well as people that lived close to me that could walk me home if I felt like I needed it (which was rare). The transportation system (tram + bus) was very reliable, and I used it often- no complaints there. They closed at 2am (we could always take a taxi), but I was close enough that walking back didn't bother me if I needed to.
If given the chance, I would definitely study abroad again. In fact, I'm about to live in Paris for a year for my graduate studies and I couldn't be more excited to plunge myself into French culture again. And it all started with API!
Alumni Interviews
Interview with Kaitlyn Nolan, world famous API alum
GO: Why did you decide to study abroad with API in France?
Kaitlyn: In regards to studying abroad with API, I had the unique experience of having a representative come into my French class as a freshman. The rep presented the API programs in Paris and Grenoble and I fell in love with the Grenoble program. The city had everything I wanted: It was small enough not to feel overwhelming, yet I could still experience "city life". Additionally, I would be forced out of my comfort zone of English and into speaking French.
As for studying with API, the program was comprehensive and had so many great perks that I couldn't imagine wanting to go with another program! I spent numerous hours on their website my junior year as I was applying and felt it was the perfect fit for me.
GO: What do you think made studying in France a unique experience?
Kaitlyn: France is such a beautiful country with an immense amount of history. It was hard to walk around Grenoble and not see a plaque about a historical event that occurred in that spot. The architecture was also unique and how one would picture a French city. There was also the cultural aspect. I lived with a host family and was able to see how the French live their day to day lives. I also fell in love with French food. I had always been a picky eater, but having no choice in the meal, I was forced to try new foods. And finally, the Grenoblois really shaped my experience. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming. From shopkeepers to restaurants, everyone wanted to know why I was studying in Grenoble and if I was enjoying my experience. I always felt so comfortable in my adopted city.
GO: How did this experience impact your academic development?
Kaitlyn: Going abroad had an immense impact on my future. Since I've been home, I've been constantly plotting how to go overseas again. It's also prompted a desire to continue perfecting my French as well starting to learn new languages (I'm picking up Irish this fall and dying to learn Spanish). I was required to take a French class this fall to finish my minor, but since I'm so happy being back in a French-speaking environment, I decided to pick up a French elective for the spring semester. Studying abroad has already had an immense impact on my life and I can't wait to see how it will continue to impact me in the future.
Interview with Stephanie Noel, world famous API alum
GO: Why did you decide to study abroad with API in Grenoble, France?
Stephanie: My decision to study abroad in Grenoble with API was relatively easy. I knew I wanted to study abroad since high school, and I started my research first semester, Freshman year of college. After talking with the study abroad advisor at my school, I was certain of two things: I wanted to study in a European French speaking country, and NOT in Paris. I had been to Paris with a school trip a few years earlier, and the most French I spoke was when I asked a waiter for a napkin, "Est-ce que je peux avoir une serviette, s'il vous plait".
I was a French major desperately seeking to improve my speaking skills, so I needed to be in a place where English was not in option. My study abroad advisor recommended I look into API, and that's when I came across Grenoble. I knew this was the place as soon as I found it; an average sized town I'd never heard of, so probably not too tourist oriented, and therefore probably not too much English.
Even more enticing for an outdoorsy person like myself was its location in the Alps and the abundance of activities I would be able to partake, potentially with a host family sharing the same interests. To top it all off, the price for a year abroad in Grenoble was a couple hundred dollars less than a year at my home university. Once I found Grenoble, my search for a program came to an end; I applied and away I went!
GO: What made your study abroad experience unique and special?
Stephanie: No two experiences are alike when you study abroad- it all depends on who you are, where you go, who you meet and who you become. I know my experience was very unique and extremely special to me because it's how I met my current boyfriend. I know, cliche boy meets girl love story, but this was different. Alex (that's the boy!) and I were pen pals for two years before I studied abroad, and I mean real pen pals, with letters and everything. I never dreamed we would meet in person given how different our lives were- he lived in the Netherlands and I was in Massachusetts.
But that all changed when I studied abroad. Over the winter break between semesters, I was invited by his family to stay with them for the holidays. I went, I met Alex, and I fell in love. The rest is history! We spent that month together, about two weeks over the spring semester, and I stayed with him for the rest of the summer, until just a week before school started here. We're going on one year together, intermittently VERY long distance, but we became friends this way, we're used to it!
GO: How has this experience impacted your future?
Stephanie: Studying abroad has completely changed me as a person, student, and professional. My experiences with new people and places have helped my learn who I am, and who I am striving to be. I have become more focused as a student, and more driven in my career goals.
Though I still don't know exactly what I want to do with my life, study abroad has opened so many doors and has given me a good idea of the path I want to go down after school. I have more options and possibilities open to me now than I could have ever imagined had I not embarked on this life changing adventure.
Further Info
About API
Academic Programs International, API, is an educational organization dedicated to providing challenging and enriching study abroad programs for our students. The experience of living, interacting and learning in an international environment presents invaluable opportunities for each student's academic and personal development.
All of their academic and extracurricular offerings are selected with the goal of helping students to become more self-aware and culturally sensitive. API envisions each student evolving from a tourist, to a resident, to a global citizen; API is dedicated to supporting this lifelong process.
API strives to provide the best comprehensive study abroad experience possible with personal attention available to all students throughout his or her program. API works closely with home universities to offer support before, during and after students' education abroad experience.
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I don't know where to begin or how to express the impact API Grenoble has had on my life. I'd like to start by stressing that no matter where you study abroad, you are bound to meet wonderful people and make life long friends. Above all, I'm incredibly grateful to have had this experience because through it, I have met my best friend and I know that I have multiple families here in France.
More about API Grenoble. I think that our resident directors are the greatest asset to this program. They help us with cultural discovery, problems with family, problems with french bureaucracy, with homesickness, etc. They are always around to listen to you, generally with chocolates and tissues at hand. It's wonderful because you have both the perspective of a traditional french woman and that of an american living in France. They are kind and caring--it feels as if they are your friends but also your mothers. The excursions they plan are always enjoyable and I leave them feeling like I've learned that much more about the french language, history, and culture.
If you do choose API Grenoble, make sure you do a homestay! I live with a single mother (both of her children are out of the house). She provides me with at least 2 meals a day, but seeing as how she loves to cook I often eat more than that. Most of her friends and one of her siblings are also hosts. So, we often have huge dinner parties and when my mother is out of town, I'm invited over to everyone else's house for dinner. Some activities that I enjoy with my host mom and other host families: dinners, trips to the movies, hiking in the mountains, trips to the country, museum visits, etc.
Some other cool things I've been able to do through API:
1) Volunteering at a primary school--you can either teach english or you can simply hang out with kids during recess and lunch. A great opportunity to practice your french with the harshest (and cutest) of critics.
2)Language exchanges. Every Friday, I go to a cafe to participate in a group language exchange. We speak in French and English but sometimes you catch a little Italian, maybe some Spanish, and the list goes on. I've become good friends with the people that go, and we meet multiple times a week to practice our French and English.
I could go on and on about this program. But I think what's most telling is that, I have 15 days left and I'm dreading leaving. I can honestly say that I've been able to develop my language skills here but I've also learned a lot about myself. And isn't that the point?