Meghan is a senior communications major at The College of New Jersey. She studied abroad in Aix-en-Provence this past summer.
I chose this program because it was a perfect match for me. I didn't want to be in Paris but still wanted to be in France. I didn't want to go abroad for a semester but wanted to be abroad for more than three weeks. I do not speak French and many of the programs offered courses only in French.
After hours and hours of searching, this was the only program that had everything I was looking for.
CEA was incredibly helpful throughout the whole process. Although I had to do a lot of things on my own (such as find courses that I needed for my degree and get them approved by my school), they answered any questions I had and helped in every way they possibly could.
I would tell someone who is about to embark on their study abroad experience to really appreciate their time abroad and really take it in. Whether it's three weeks or six months, it is an absolutely magical time that is going to fly by!
Try to get involved as much as you can and step out of your comfort zone and do things you normally wouldn't do. Take advantage of everything your program and school has to offer. They offer tons of activities and excursions, usually free or very inexpensive, and go to as many as you can! It is a great way to meet people and experience more of what your program and host country have to offer.
Of course no two days are the same when you're spending your summer in a foreign country! With that being said, I did quickly fall into a general routine. I would wake up around 7:30 am and get ready to go to my morning politics class.
Before my French class at 3:30 pm, I would get lunch in the town and spend some time in the basement lounge of IAU, doing homework and hanging out with friends. Some days, I would use this time to explore the city.
After class, I typically walked around to take in the absolutely breathtaking beauty of Aix before heading back to my homestay for dinner. Every night was different! Some I stayed in and hung out with my host mom and her daughter, some nights my friends and I would go get gelato on the Cours Mirabeau or go shopping or one of the dozens of other things to do in Aix!
CEA offered many activities such as a wine tasting and a soap making class at nights. I attended as many of these events as possible. Weekends were typically spent traveling around the nearby cities and countries.
My biggest fear was the language barrier. I have only taken a year of French and was concerned that since it was not a big city like Paris, I would have a very difficult time getting around. Although most people do not speak English, they are more than willing to be patient and work with you if you do the same. I would use what little French I had and they used what little English they had and we were was always able to make it work.
Although I did take try to take advantage of all the activities my school and CEA program had to offer and tried to have the most fulfilling experience possible, there are times where I feel like I almost took my time abroad for granted.
I would definitely try to keep in mind how special of an experience this is from the second you step on the plane to leave. As many people have told you, it goes by very fast so try to make the most of it and live every day to its absolute fullest!