CEA Study Abroad in Aix-en-Provence, France

It’s been a year since I lived in Aix-en-Provence for four months, growing roots in a city I long to return to every day with friends I miss so much. If you’re wondering whether this city is a good match for you, I’ll give you an idea of why I chose it: I was looking for a small city, a place where I wouldn’t feel lost stifled by tall buildings. I was looking for a place with those classically charming cobblestone streets, flanked on either side by boulangeries, little shops, and age-old homes slowing decaying but in the best way possible. Living in Aix brought those expectations to life and fully exceeded them. The blank shops and empty bakeries I imagined in my head before arriving turned into Jacobs, where you can get the best baguette of your life for just 80 centimes, or Joseph, for a tarte au citron (or, let’s be honest, any other stunning dessert in the display). Le garde Manger was a favorite too, for it’s too-cute-for-life balcony and killer quiche lorraine.
And I was actually able to get to all these places somewhat regularly because of my class schedule in the SUFLE program at Aix-Marseille Université. I only had class Monday to Thursday, and only for about 3 to 5 hours a day. My friends and I would go to a café in the afternoon and have a croissant and an espresso and read a novel for class or just sit and practice speaking in French.
Being in the CEA program made navigating a French University easy because I didn’t have to figure anything with class registration or anything like that.
CEA also did a wonderful job of keeping us busy with fun activities on those Fridays off, with everything from soap-making at a local savonnerie, wine tastings, or a drawing workshop in the Provençal outdoors with a view of Mt. Sainte-Victoire.
Overall, it was a great experience I wouldn’t change at all, and going there with CEA was the best decision I could’ve made.

Studying abroad in France is about more than baguettes. Baguettes do play a large role, but the real goodness of it all lies in the people and places you meet. I went to Aix-en-Provence, France with CEA from January-April 2017, and not a day goes by when I don't think about it. Aix was the perfect city for me -- it's teeming with cafés, shops, and picturesque winding streets, without having the feel of a gridded city with huge looming buildings. I’m so thankful to have been apart of CEA’s Aix program versus going on my own, because every staff person met or talked to genuinely wanted to be as helpful to me as possible. Whether I was freaking out over pre-departure documents, had questions about my classes or anything else, CEA was quick to respond and worked with me so that I didn’t have to figure things out on my own. While in France, my onsite directors Nancy and Vivienne were the best. I can’t imagine two people more perfect for their role. They had local activities planned for us every week, as well as frequent tea times in the CEA office where we could have tea and our favorite madeleine cakes. I can honestly say that studying abroad was the best four months of my life, and CEA made it so that I could most fully enjoy my time. I would go back in a heartbeat!

Over spring 2017, I studied abroad in Aix-en-Provence, France through CEA. They were absolutely amazing and surpassed my expectations in every way. From pre-departure paperwork and preparation, to picking us up at the airport, to showing us around town, to helping us through any issue during the entire semester, to helping us adjust back at home, CEA was phenomenal. They had an incredibly kind staff and Vivienne and Nancy in Aix were outstanding. When they moved us into our apartments, they had pasta, cookies and fruit already set out for us to have. How nice is that?! Throughout the semester, their doors were always open in case we wanted to talk to them about anything. Also, they planned excursions, cheese tastings and a ton of other fun activities for us all of the time. France was an absolute dream, but it would not have been possible without the help of CEA.

As someone who studied abroad in both Paris and Aix, Aix is hands down the place you want to be! It's sunny every day and totally walkable with so much charm. Without CEA my semester would've been 10 times less exciting. They make sure there are so many opportunities to meet people and provide super fun activities like wine tasting, oil painting Mont Sainte Victoire, and cool excursions to places off the beaten track. I feel like Aix also attracts a certain kind of personality- laid-back and up for anything or traveling anywhere, so I got along really well with everyone in my program!

Aix is so easy to travel from; we went somewhere almost every weekend! Nightlife is great because you don't have to worry about catching the subway or bus back because everything is within walking distance. Go to the farmer's market every chance you get! I miss it so much. Honestly, the only thing I liked better in Paris was the food selection. If you want sunny, warm weather, friendly locals, and easy travel - go to Aix!

My stay in Aix was a beautiful experience. Aix is somewhat of a "college town" or rather there's many french/international students studying in that area. This was great because it allowed me to make french friends and international friends. Also Aix is the perfect location for visiting all around the South of France. Literally one of the most beautiful areas! I visited the alps, I visited islands, I visited mountain villages, and sea side villages. There's everything here that you could ever imagine. Aix is a cute little town but if your into that big city life marseille is just a 30 minute bus ride and the second largest city in France.

Tomorrow, I'm flying back to the US after spending 5 weeks in Aix-en-Provence, France. I could say so much about this program, but all I can say is that if you are considering it, go for it! I learned so much about different cultures and languages here--not just French! The city itself is exactly what you would expect out of a wealthier Southern France city but the school itself is really a huge mix of backgrounds and ethnicities! My favorite area is hands down the city center where you can see anything from African drummers during the Euro Cup to people playing the accordion while a reenactment of part of the French Revolution is happening in the same square (I saw both of these things in the same day, by the way).

Aix is special for so many reasons, and it doesn't take much for one to understand why once they visit the town. The people, the scenery, the nightlife and the just everything in general make Aix the perfect destination for a college student while studying abroad. I was supposed to go to Paris, but switched last minute after the attacks last November. I had no idea what to expect, and was slightly bummed I couldn't go to Paris. However, it was clear during my first day in Aix that this is where I was meant to be the whole time. I instantly fell in love with the town, the people in my program and the wonderful directors who go above and beyond to make the students feel welcomed and important. I was able to meet many wonderful French students and actually speak French. I'm already planning my next trip back very soon. Because the town is smaller, the amount of people that speak English is much smaller than in a big city like Paris. So, I was forced to use my French and grew tremendously in my language skills. I also love the fact that you can walk anywhere in Aix and enjoy the beautiful weather by doing so. (It never gets really cold, which I enjoy because I'm from the Midwest.) There is also a wonderful bus system for a very small fare that can take you anywhere in the region (that means the beach!). Aix was the best, accidental, decision I have ever made, and I am very grateful for it.

The best thing about studying abroad is that academically, we can easily apply what we learned in class and we get immediate feedbacks on whether we applied our knowledge right or wrong. And socially, we build confidence. I even started a conversation with a lost stranger who ended up taking me to a dinner, all in French! I also checked hitchhiking off my bucket list and got to travel around so much more than I could have ever imagined. Now I have so many friends all over Europe that I could always come back to!

Studying abroad with CEA in Aix-en-Provence, France, was the most incredible opportunity and I would give anything to do it all over again. From the moment I stepped off the plane and was greeted by CEA staff who kindly directed me to my homestay and made sure that I made it there safely, I knew that I had picked the perfect program to study with. There were so many opportunities for the students to connect and travel together, with weekly excursions and cafe hours, not to mention other meals and wine and cheese tastings, all put on and organized by the directors. They never hesitated to check in with the students and help when in need, and I don't think my experience would have been the same without them. I never felt scared or worried while abroad, which was something I heavily anticipated upon moving to a new and foreign city.

CEA is hands down the most welcoming, engaging, helpful and friendly (I could go on for hours) program, and I would recommend them to EVERY student studying abroad. Thank you so much for making this semester the best 4 months of my life, I will miss my directors and the city dearly.

À la prochaine!

Towards the end of my semester, I really wanted to go to the Camargues. By expressing this wish to Vivienne, one of the coordinators, I got my wish. Not only did she help me figure out which bus to use, she also talked to one of her former students who lived and worked in the area and got us a free wildlife tour. My friends and I had so much fun, and none of it would be possible if it weren't for the great work of our coordinators.

I was skeptical at first, when I decided to study abroad because I had never been out of the country before, or away from my friends and family for that long. However, the CEA Aix-en-Provence staff quickly made me feel at home, helping me with any questions I had. All the event they had planned, fit in perfectly, and helped me get to know my fellow classmates as well as the city itself. I learned so much and experienced so many new things in this short amount of time abroad, and it would not have been possible without the help of CEA Aix-en-Provence. I went places and met people that I will never forget. I cannot wait to return one day

Everything about Aix was amazing. Aix is smaller in comparison to other French cities, but we never ran out of things to do. Our program directors, Nancy and Vivienne, were amazing and did everything they could to make sure we had a great time. The entire CEA program bonded really well, we made a lot of lifelong friends :). The excursions we went on through CEA had a lot of variety, from going to Mont Saint Victoire or visiting vineyards. It was a wonderful Aix-perience.

I would love to start off by saying Aix-en-Provence is a beautiful town in the South of France. It is not to big to get lost, but also not to small to get bored. There are many things to do in this town, but if that is not enough you can get on the Cart Treize bus and see the beautiful city of Marseille. There is so much rich history for all Provence area, and people are really nice. The program directors in Aix were also amazing. I loved them so much, and they are always on top of their things especially when it comes to the safety of the students in the program. I would recommend everyone to at least visit this town!

CEA gave us a ton of cool excursion options but my favorite by far was when we went to Nice and Monte Carlo! In Nice we were able to walk around and explore the city on our own, looking in all the shops and even hiking to the beautiful chateau, and then CEA got us tickets to the Bataille des Fleurs for Carnaval. This was probably the coolest thing I did the whole semester, it was a huge parade where everyone kept handing you gorgeous flowers! Then we went to Monte Carlo and got dressed up for a delicious dinner and hung out at the casino and other cool places! The next day we had free time to see all the sites of Monte Carlo! This trip was so much fun and I'm so glad CEA planned it for us!

Studying abroad with CEA in Aix en Provence was the best decision I ever made! Leaving your home for 3 months to a year can be scary but the CEA staff and the friends you make really do become your family. I love Vivienne and Nancy; they are amazing and super helpful if you ever need to make a doctor's appointment or even just a haircut. I have made lifelong memories and friends through my experience with CEA and I cannot recommend this program enough!