I was very nervous to study abroad but it was perhaps the best decision I made. Upon arrival, the onsite team made me feel secure and supported. They showed us the city, ate with us, and gave us so many opportunities to meet other students. Another thing I love about CEA CAPA is that they offer various activities throughout the month with the onsite team for free. I participated in activities like yoga, ceramics, day trips (and even a weekend trip) that helped me explore areas that maybe were difficult to get to on my own or activities that I wouldn’t have included in my budget or maybe even things that I just wasn’t as confident to do on my own. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to explore your host city, try out different activities, and make friends and that was all due to CEA CAPA and how they structure the program.

I loved living in Aix-en-Provence. The small town consists of a decent student-aged population and the people are so friendly. Everything was within walking distance, and Marseille was just a short bus ride away. Aix is also close to the Côte D'Azur, and I really enjoyed traveling to Nice and all the small beach towns surrounding it.

The food in Aix and in the region of Provence is really good. I truly got to experience the Mediterranean diet in its fullest. CEA CAPA took us wine tasting in Cassis, as well as olive oil tasting in Les Baux de Provence.

I had an awesome educational experience at IAU. This university is a great option if you are looking for classes that will be approved for your Liberal Arts degree or General Education requirements – they offered several classes that were pre-approved by my home university. They also have a French Honors Program, which is a language immersion program that requires students to take multiple upper-level French courses that all focus on learning about the region of Provence. I felt lucky to be a part of this program because it provided me with a built-in support system of caring and passionate professors, as well as a small cohort of 7 girls who made the program extra fun. My classes were a safe space to make translation errors – many times our errors made us laugh. Overall, this program really aided my immersion in Aix.

One thing I recommend if you are looking for ways to immerse yourself into Aix's culture and to meet locals is to consider living with a host family. Since most of my CEA CAPA peers and my classmates were American, I was not regularly meeting French students. I am so grateful to have been paired with a lovely host family, who provided me with lots of support and fun times throughout my experience. I ate dinner with my host mom every weeknight. She really helped me improve my French, made me feel comfortable in her home and in Aix, and also always made me laugh. I miss her a lot.
I really recommend this program to anyone who is looking to experience the lifestyle of the South of France! Living in Aix really deepened my understanding and appreciation for French culture.

Aix-en-Provence is a wonderful city and i loved every moment of it. The region is very beautiful with nice weather and many activities that students can do. The program is very well organized to give students the chance to travel around the region and enjoy local activities, but it’s also easy to travel independently or find something interesting inside the town. The academic aspect is also great, with amazing teachers and very interesting classes. My favorite part of my study abroad was definitely being able to just walk around and enjoy the town. I was also able to make strong connections with the other students and hope we will remain friends for a long time.

CEA CAPA made this trip amazing from the second I landed at the airport. I was met with a representative who took me to my new home for the month and introduced me to the family I was going to be staying with. They set us up with bus passes, safety resources, and so much more on our first informational session. They created a WhatsApp for communication which made me feel secure in so many ways. All of the group trips where amazing and well organized. My favorite trip was to Marseille where we had a tour of the coastal city.

Study abroad is intimidating. Settling into a new and foreign country by yourself seems scary. However, I my experience in Aix-en-Provence was unforgettably amazing. My program I went with, CEA CAPA, also paved a smooth way for my transition into Aix-en-Provence, organized my housing and classes which worked out great, and offered a volunteer opportunity to teach english that also had a great influence during my time abroad. I absolutely loved the city I lived in, the walks to and from my apartment that brightened by day, the bakeries and boutiques all within the city, the greenery and fresh produce and flowers in the markets, and the performers that would fill the streets with music. It left me with such a beautiful impression that I would never get tired of. Everyone I met was kind and helpful and complimented my french. I always felt safe, even walking alone at night. Transportation was also very easy, accessible and affordable which was helpful when I needed to go to the train station or airport or just a bus ride from the store to my apartment. Leaving at the end of the semester was harder than I thought it was going to be, but I am thankful that it was because it showed how meaningful and life changing that experience was and continues to be in my life.

I am very satisfied with this program. As a Language Major, I felt as though I got adequate practice in throughout my semester abroad. I was able to speak with many French speakers while living in Aix-en-Provence. Something I really loved about the location is that it is not a huge city, so you get to see familiar faces day to day. This made it easier to make new local friends. Something else I really liked about the location was that it was only a 25-minute bus ride away from the Marseille International Airport. This made it very easy and convenient to travel around France and other countries.
I studied abroad with a program called CEA CAPA, which was very helpful. The people who were stationed in Aix with us were very accessible and helpful at all times. One of them, Aisling, was very easy to reach and even answered some questions I had after I had left France. The other, Isabel, showed me where there was an affordable grocery store near me. Both of them made my experience easier and more welcoming.
Something else that CEA provided for us students was excursions. These were very educational and fun. One thing we did that I liked was visiting a perfume factory in Grasse, France. We learned how to make perfume, and what it means to be a nose, and at the end, we even got to create our own scents. This was a very cool experience and not something I would have thought to do on my own.

I loved travelling to Aix, especially with CEA CAPA. I was excited to stay in a homestay and that experience could not have been any more perfect for me. Beside that, the classes were entertaining and helped me to explore the area and surrounding cities. The CEA CAPA team on-site was so helpful each step of the way with any homesickness, questions about currency exchange, and getting a phone plan. They took us to other cities and provided tours and amazing food along the way. I would definitely recommend this location and team to anyone asking

I loved my time in Aix-en-Provence studying with CEA CAPA staff and other students from around North America. I had so much support from CEA CAPA staff and got to make so many memories. CEA CAPA provided so many opportunities for excursions and local events such as cooking classes, comedy shows, etc. I am passionate about studying abroad now because of my time with CEA CAPA. I connected so much with the culture around me. I hope that I get a chance to go back to Aix-en-Provence in the future.