AIFS Abroad in Grenoble, France (UGA): Semester

I'm forever thankful that I chose Grenoble as the city I would call my second home! This city was the perfect mix of history, culture, and individuality - there is undoubtedly something for everyone here. The number one recommendation I have for anyone who wants to leave their time abroad feeling immersed and connected, instead of traveling every weekend, make an effort to take part in many of the cultural experiences the city has to offer all year long. I made some of my favorite memories attending operas, visiting museums, and hiking the French Alps with my host family!

I have wanted to study abroad for years and studying abroad with AIFS in Grenoble, France in Spring 2020 exceeded my every expectation! The AIFS staff was incredible in supporting me from the moment I began the application process to the end of my program. The on-site Resident Director, Miranda, went above and beyond to make Grenoble feel like home the moment I arrived. The French Language and Culture Program ensured that my academic goals were met while having fun in all the cultural activities and excursions AIFS offered. Some of my best memories were making crepes with the friends I made there and snowshoeing in the French Alps (the views can't be beat!). My program was unfortunately cut short due to COVID-19 but I am grateful to AIFS for navigating the pandemic with students' health and safety as their top priority. I was able to finish my courses at home to still receive my credits and Zoom reunions with friends have been a must to relive those amazing few months. I wouldn't trade my experience with AIFS for anything!

My time in Grenoble, France was the best decision I have ever made for myself. Everything from the views, to my host family, to my new friends, was AMAZING. My time abroad is something that I will cherish forever, and I want everybody to experience what I did. Through AIFS, I was able to do so many things that I would have never gotten to do. We went snowshoeing in the mountains, tried authentic French cheese, made crepes, and so much more. Not only was I able to explore Grenoble, but I was fortunate enough to go to several other countries. These experiences are once in a lifetime and I hope one day to return to all of the places I visited. I am so thankful that I took the leap to study abroad. If you are on the fence, just do it! You most likely won't get an opportunity like this outside of college.

I knew I wanted to study abroad after meeting foreign exchange students from high school. It was not until Fall 2018 that I got the opportunity to study abroad in Grenoble, France with AIFS. I recommend AIFS to anyone who is looking for a study abroad provider for many reasons. AIFS helps students through the whole study abroad process from obtaining a visa to booking the flight. The resident director in Grenoble, Miranda, is wonderful. She helps students with pretty much everything and always there when the students needed. She really does care about all the students and want each and every one of them to get the best out of their experience abroad. Going to a new country that has a different culture and language from the ones I know was nerve-wracking, however, thanks to AIFS I was able to overcome my fear and had such an amazing experience abroad.

One of the most sought after experiences of studying abroad is to befriend local students and immerse yourself into the culture. Due to the amazing resident director of AIFS in Grenoble, France, I was able to do just that. Miranda created mixers for our program with students from the nearby university giving us an opportunity to meet French students. My friends and I met amazing French students from the engineering school who invited us out to eat dinner together, to cook together, and to see the nightlife together. This program helped me accomplish my goal of becoming fluent in French by putting me in a school of international students learning French as well as my goal of exploring France by going on weekend trips to Paris, Provence, and local towns. If you are looking for a unique experience to study in France, Grenoble is your best bet!

When I think back on my study abroad semester I can't help but get so excited about Grenoble, the city where I spent four months of my life. I miss it everyday and I want everyone to go abroad when they are still in school in order to get out of the culture bubble we grow up in.
I chose to live with a host family, and was placed with a beautiful family about 30 min from the city center. At first I wasn't sure if I enjoyed being a distance away from the university or the city center but then I enjoyed the commute on the trams, buses, or even my bike I rented from the tourism office.
The program director was very accessible and very helpful from the orientation weekend to the final departure. Miranda provided multiple tools for learning and cultural engagement like, day or weekend excursions, wine and cooking classes, conversational partners, tours of the city, etc. I look forward to reconnecting with her when I get the chance to return.
The classes, while a little bit crazy at first getting situated, were challenging but not too time consuming. I really enjoyed being fully immersed in the classroom during my french class and then at home with my french family. AIFS covers breakfast and dinner for the Grenoble option, so I was only needing to pay for lunch each day.
Being surrounded by three grand mountain chains, was a "jigsaw puzzle view". Somedays I felt like I was dreaming or living in a movie backdrop. Coming from a Florida girl, I was in awe by where I was living. There are many hikes to go on, ski resorts to visit and food to indulge on.
Take chances in language, food, adventures, and life. GO study abroad!!

If you want an authentic French experience, come to Grenoble. Grenoble is absolutely breathtaking. The mountains are great for hiking or skiing. It's amazing to go running along the river. If you are an active person, you will fall in love with Grenoble's outdoor activities and more. Even if you aren't very active, you will be charmed by Grenoble's architecture, friendly atmosphere, and the weekend markets. I learned far more than I ever expected in coming here. I went from not being able to speak French hardly at all to having conversations about politics, home improvement, and cultural differences. You will get out what you put in to it. That is the most important thing to remember when you come here or if you go anywhere in general to study abroad. If I could choose where to go for another semester, I would probably still pick Grenoble. I've met so many great international students here. We will be friends for a lifetime. Come to Grenoble, and you won't regret it.

My study abroad semester in Grenoble, France was a once in a lifetime experience that I wouldn't trade for anything. Like many of the students who choose this program, I wanted a truly authentic French experience that I felt I wouldn't find studying in Paris. And an authentic experience is what I got. The city has a population of around 150,000 which I felt was a perfect size for me: not to small, but not to big. My favorite part of living in Grenoble is the fact that the city is surrounded by three different mountain ranges. Every direction that you turn your head in, you can see mountains (if there aren't any 300 year old buildings in the way!) With my study abroad program we were able to take part in several activities and excursions to different places around the city and within the region. These were some of my most favorite memories and things that I got to do while in France. These included snowshoeing in the Alps followed by a relaxing visit to a thermal spa, visiting several vineyards to do some wine tasting, and doing a high ropes course complete with zip line atop one of the mountains surrounding Grenoble. My favorite place that we visited was a monastery tucked away in the Chartreuse mountains (one of the ranges that borders Grenoble.) It was the most beautiful and peaceful place that I have ever been in my life. These experiences along with the day to day authentic experiences of riding trams, visiting cafés, and speaking French made my semester so full and complete. I truly left part of my heart in Grenoble and can't wait until the day that I can go find it again.