Study abroad in France | Blyth Academy International Summers

Going into the airport, I was nervous. I’m sure many students were. I’ve never gone on a plane by myself, let alone travelling overseas without my parents. Upon arriving in France, the friendships began to form, teachers were nice. The food and scenery were incredible. I never wanted to leave. Reading books, and experiencing France is truly a wonderful way to learn. Being able to see so many historical buildings, sites that you see on television and read in books is truly a wonderful opportunity. It was wonderful to go to classes for part of the day and experience France the other part of the day. The excursions were well thought out, and if you did not want to go, you could stay back and do your homework or still walk around the city.
I highly recommend going. It has taught me to be more independent, resourceful and has enriched my life. You will not regret your decision.

I was nervous at first to go on this trip as I had no idea what to expect. I didn't know anyone else going and I wasn't sure what to expect regarding the work load. I can safely say that making friends was not an issue. Everyone on this trip was on the same boat as me, no one came with a friend and we were all eager to get to know each other. Within the first hour after getting dropped off at the airport, I already got to know 2 people very well. The teachers cared about their students much more than any other public or private school teacher would, making it much easier to understand the work. The teachers were available at all hours to help their students with any difficulties we would have. The experiential learning opportunities were beyond incredible. While learning and reading about both world war I and II, we got to visit Vimy Ridge and Juno Beach. We had the chance to see first hand where certain battles took place which helped us visualize and picture the challenging lives of the soldiers in the war. Not only did we get to see the educational aspect of France, but we were also immersed in the amazing French culture. Our trip led us on incredible paths leading to the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Mont-Saint-Michel, and much more. Truly and incredible trip!

I didn't really know what to expect from this trip and I was more than a little nervous when I arrived, but over the course of two hours, I'd already met some awesome people that I would end up hanging out with the entire trip. The teachers were fun and easy going, often chatting with students during downtime and organizing fun little activities like runs down to the beach. We first landed in Marseille and stayed in Aix-en-Provence, we were there for about three days. We then travelled by bus to Mandelieu where we stayed for roughly a week. Of the three cities where we stayed, Mandelieu was the best, cooler and closer to the sea than Aix-en-Provence, and quieter/calmer than Paris. Lastly, we travelled again by bus to Paris and remained there for the final two weeks of the trip. We ended up seeing all kinds of different landscapes and styles that aren't seen as much (if at all) in Canada. It was fascinating and exhilarating and I can easily see myself going on another trip, probably not back to France, but definitely with Blyth.