Study Abroad in Paris, France: CCFS: Semester or Academic Year

The courses offered at the CCFS were exactly what I was looking for to increase my fluency in French. The professors were tough but very thorough, and covered both grammar and culture in the courses. I particularly liked the course offered by AIFS about Parisian art and architecture. I found the AIFS staff to be very helpful and accommodating throughout the entire semester. There were many events and excursions planned throughout the program that made it very easy to get involved. One great perk of going in the spring semester was the two week early start program in Cannes that AIFS offers. I really enjoyed having an extended stay in the south of France before heading to Paris for the semester.

I think AIFS was a great program to study abroad with! One of the best and most convenient things about the program was the fact that there was a flight package. This would include booking the flight ticket for you, picking you up from the airport, and dropping you off where you need to be.The program also included a two-week orientation in Cannes before you got to Paris which was beneficial in helping you make friends in the program. It was also a good way to freshen up your French.

Although, cheese and baguettes were two of my favorite parts of my semester in Paris, I loved the chance to study abroad and discover so much more about the city and French culture! My classes were interesting and thought-provoking, but not time-consuming or too challenging. My French language skills improved SO much while I was abroad! I lived with another American student and a Mexican student in a French woman's home, right across the river from the Louvre--SO lucky! I loved being able to hop on the metro for wherever I needed to go, it is the height of convenience! I also found the AIFS support staff SUPER helpful and caring! They really want to make sure everyone has the best possible experience, and they offer great excursions that I highly recommend! The American AIFS staff also are very useful for making sure all of your documentation, etc. are in order before you travel abroad. I have nothing bad to say about AIFS! Vive la France!

I'm so glad I picked AIFS for my study abroad experience!! Danica, Claire and Jane were very helpful in making sure my courses, housing, meal tickets, etc. were all set! They were so friendly and knowledgable making them wonderful resources while in Paris.

They also planned fantastic excursions within the city and within France! We enjoyed shows at the Opera, pastry/cheese/wine tastings, museum visits, walking tours, etc. which were all fantastic. We also had a group dinner at the beginning and end which was really cool to see how people have enjoyed the program and made lifelong friendships!

The biggest reason I would choose AIFS, not only for their quality and all-inclusive prices, but the service was amazing!

Thank you AIFS for making my experience so memorable:)

My semester abroad in Paris was a blend of breathtaking moments that were surprisingly educational. Some of my favorite memories from abroad was when I was able to gaze at the Eiffel tower while it lit up a dark Paris night, climb to the top of the Notre Dame cathedral to experience a gargoyle’s point of view of Paris, and spend countless days in Montmartre surrounded by artists. Luckily through AIFS, I took weekend trips to Normandy and the Loire Valley. I found myself in complete awe as I walked though the American cemetery that held many soldiers who had laid down their lives for our freedom. Not only did Normandy take my breath away but the Loire Valley did also. I had only dreamed about the beautiful castles I stepped foot in. As you can see I clearly don’t have a single memory from abroad that I treasure the most. What I treasure is the combination of every single moment I lived along the way. All of those memories are what made my experience studying abroad with AIFS the best decision I’ve ever made.

DO NOT TRAVEL WITH AIFS they are incredibly disorganized and unhelpful in times of conflict. They are significantly more expensive and there is NO added benefit to using AIFS. Their staff watches you like preschool children and the glorified dormitory that they stick you in is terrible. Ridiculous rules like no food or drink outside of lobby and they force you to eat in their gross cafeteria. AVOID AIFS at ALL COSTS trust me!!

This program was all that I could have hoped for! It started out with three amazing days in London, England. We were given a tour of central London by a wonderful tour guide name Nicki, she showed out group all of the best places to go, the best places to eat, and many historical sites as well. After London, we were off to Cannes, France. It was just stunning, clear water, friendly staff, and excursions to Nice and Monaco. We were housed in dorms for our 2 week language orientation, which helped all of us get closer to each other as well as practice our French skills. This part of our trip was the most essential part! It was hard work getting used to the French educational system, which is a lot like the Socratic method used in Law schools, but you learn so much!

After a 5 hour TGV ride, we were finally in Paris. Breathtaking is the only word that one can use. We explored in our group, and most of us became flaneurs, and found a bunch of great spots to hang out, do homework, or just have a picque-nique.When it came to the Sorbonne's placement tests, I think all of us were scared, but it went off fabulously! The teachers were extremely nice, while their homework was sometimes difficult. They really want their students to learn, so they push them academically. Trust me, it is well worth it! I learned so much and now I am not scared to speak French. By the end of my time abroad, French just rolled off of my tongue. The best part of the experience were the ladies at the AIFS: Paris office! They are just great, they are always there for you and want you to do your best and have the best time possible. When it was time to leave, I cried my eyes out when I had to say good-bye to them. Everyone should go on this trip, it will change you forever. I am now independent and my french language skills have greatly improved. Apply, Apply, Apply!!! You will not regret it!

First of all, this program provided The Best Class I've ever taken in my entire academic life,(and i've gone to school in four countries now)Philosophy spring sem. '08... I'll risk sounding overly drammatic, and say it changed my life, in more ways than one. The teacher was brilliantly unconventional, and quite simply awesome. I credit that single class for developing the kind of critical thinking that all colleges claim to foster in our(students) minds, but they don't, not really... it was truly liberating experience, and I'll never forget it, thank you...
Now, everything else: AIFS staff was fantastic, completely supportive and helpful as much as they could with absolutely everything. Computers/internet, books, class/test schedules, etc. welcome to hang out as much as you want, and generally a positive place to be.
The program was very good, it wasn't straight french shcool, more of a cultural education program for foreign students, language, culture, history, architecture(i wasn't there, but they took tours all around paris), but they left more than enough Free time to explore on one's own.
One pleasant surprise were the weekend excursions out of town, which weren't mentioned ahead of time, completely free, busses, hotels when overnight, visited castles, old walled cities, vinyards(caves), parfume factory, Van Gogh's room, etc, etc. Don't miss those...
And Overall everyone was great, I haven't met oe rude person the whole time i was there, the whole french stereotypes we hear in u.s.- that's all they are stereotypes. I've heard some ppl had issues here and there, but my theory is that your attitude is reflected back at you from others, be nice to others and they'll(mostly) do the same.

final and i think the most important advice I could give is to be open to everything new and/or different. Say Ciao to your comfort zone, and live a litte, enjoy your time here, there, everywhere...
Cheers

I went abroad for a semester because I wanted to challenge myself, to become more independent, more wordly, and be able to relate to many different kinds of people. I also wanted to improve my French. My experience provided all of that and more. It's been a year now since I was in Paris, and I miss it every day--I wouldn't give up my time in Paris for anything.

During the week, we had classes every day. You could choose however many classes you wanted to take. Don't let the program staff bully you into taking more than you want to take--the point of being in Paris is NOT to go to school and study your butt off, but to experience the city! I took the required language class (3 hours/day) and one other French Civlization class. Both were good classes but were time consuming. I decided early on that my grades didn't matter that much to me and was much happier after that. The language class is every day, and the other classes are once or twice a week. I lived with one other girl in a French family's house, which was amazing. We had our own bedroom. We would wake up, eat the breakfast provided by the family, catch the metro to school, go to class, then do something fun in the afternoons (museums, parks, etc). Our classes were located in the middle of Paris, right across the river from Notre Dame Cathedral.

The excursions provided by the program are wonderful. They're free, they're guided by experts--why wouldn't you go? They took us to places like Versailles, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Edith Piaf museum.

Wonderful, amazing, life-changing, extraordinarily fun! DO IT!

I was very pleased with my experience with AIFS. The staff over there was extremely supportive and helpful and they worked hard to coordinate great housing and activities. The academics could have been more rigorous with more courses that were actually in French and with French students. Also, there could have been more organized opportunities to interact with French students because almost all of our academic time was spent with American or other international students. The average day consisted of attending language courses that were tailored to the individual's level and these classes were shared with international students. In addition to the language classes, all participants had at least 2 additional classes that were spaced out during the week. I had two classes that met twice a week for 2 hours and one class that met once a week for 3 hours. Two of these courses were extremely informative and offered great opportunities to learn more about and explore Paris. After classes, students were free to visit the AIFS and hang out, explore the city, or go to lunch and dinner together. Though classes were important, the majority of the experience was available for exploration, fun, and a simple enjoyment of and experience with the city.

This program caters to a broad range of people.

Our Spring 2008 group had students who had never been out of the country and chose to live on-campus, while some more advanced French speakers lived in homestays or in off-campus apartments. The living options make it easy to tailor everything to your comfort and independence level. I was in an off-campus apartment, which meant more freedom, and being able to cook your own food. We had an amazing outdoor market in front of our place every week, so it was popular to shop there.

On-campus people had meal plans with the school, so they were a bit more limited. (Living on-campus also had a 2am curfew/lockout, so beware of that.)

My only words of wisdom are to understand that this is an American-heavy program. Since you're surrounded by dozens of fellow Americans in classes and housing, it's easy to bond with them and forget to explore what makes the French tick.

I'll always remember the night my friend and I were sitting elbow-to-elbow in this crowded Basque restaurant in the 11th arrondissement. The people next to me heard us speaking English and asked us how we liked France. We talked with them for the entire dinner. These kind of situations really made the semester memorable, and probably wouldn't have happened if we'd been a huge group of Americans.

Take advantage of the support and cultural activities AIFS provides, but remember to get out and break free from the group when you can!