CEA CAPA Education Abroad in Grenoble, France

This was my first time ever going to France and did not know what to expect. CEA CAPA allowed the option of airport pickup and this was one of the best decisions. Justine greeted me at the airport where we took a bus ride back to Grenoble. I feel all the things I was nervous about, taking public transportation, guiding myself around the city, was all taken care of through CEA CAPA. Brie and Justine even showed me how to re-load my card for taking the tram to travel around the city. I feel the attention to detail to smaller aspects like this is what made me feel comfortable in an unknown place. The location of housing was also great since it was only a 5 minute walk from my University. The school that I attended was highly competitive and much stricter with their attendance policy than in the U.S.A. so just beware of that when studying abroad. Overall, I feel this program was a great fit , the city of Grenoble is medium population size and has amazing business and schools of sciences.

Over the Fall 2024 semester, I went abroad as a science student at the Université Grenoble Alpes. One thing I loved about this experience was how I was integrated with the students of UGA. My Cell Biology class was a great way for me to meet locals. The program I was in also had a buddy program. Over the semester, I would do fun things with my buddy and they showed me around the city and places that the locals go to. This really helped me find a sense of community in a place so new and helped me transition to my life abroad.

My time in Grenoble was unforgettable. I chose the city mostly just because I had heard of it before, but I found that being in a smaller place, in a more underrepresented region of France was incredibly enriching. Surrounded by the Alps, in a beautiful region of France, I got to explore with CEA CAPA and practice my French at the same time. The locals were so welcoming, and while the academics were not the easiest part, I felt incredibly supported by my CEA team. I made lifelong friendships with the people in my cohort, and I am so grateful that I chose this program.

My time abroad in Grenoble was with all certainty a highlight of my life. The experiences I had there learning about the local culture, studying at a high level, exploring the city and the alps, eating delicious food, and travelling beyond the city limits are those that I will cherish for the rest of my life. I grew significantly as a person abroad, facilitated by the support that CEA CAPA provides and simply becoming embedded into such a unique and limitless new world. Grenoble's central location within Europe as well as the developed transportation system allowed for further travels throughout the rest of Europe with incredible ease. I would highly recommend this program to anyone, especially those who are intrigued by nature, good food, travelling, and French culture.

The CEA CAPA provided me with one of the greatest five months of my entire life because of everything they had to offer with my program, including visits to famous sites, trips to museums, and excursions to other cities. They also had such an amazing support system when it came to helping make sure we were all accommodated and satisfied with our experience throughout the semester. Moreover, the academic uniqueness of European culture made the experience all the more special because it provided an extensive hands-on approach to learning that put a fun twist on higher education.

I had an amazing time studying in Grenoble, France! The pre-departure team in the US was extremely helpful with answering every single question that I had. My advisor responded quickly to all of the numerous questions that I asked her. The onsite staff with CEA CAPA was extremely helpful as well! The two-day orientation was a great way to see Grenoble and learn how to navigate the city, and they were great at recommending good restaurants! I chose to stay with a host family, which was an incredible experience! Getting to see how French people really live is a unique experience that I would recommend to anyone! My host was so kind with teaching me new French vocabulary and cooking me excellent dinners every night! Also, the classes at UGA were very helpful and engaging. The weekend excursions with CEA were also a really fun way to see parts of France that I would not otherwise see! We had a tour guide for two weekend trips who was very fun and informative! I could not recommend this experience enough!

I studied in Grenoble for a semester and I cannot recommend it enough. I found the city and the courses I was taking to be perfect for what I was wanting to get out of my study abroad experience. My program was the French Language and Culture program, so all of my classes were in French at the B1 level. I thought the teachers were excellent and made the French immersion very accessible and were always happy to help with any questions or clarifications, and the students at the university were from all over the world, so it really made me have to use French to communicate with almost all of my classmates (I was the only American in my class, but this was not the case for other CEA CAPA students in the same program who were at different French levels) and I feel like I progressed a lot during the semester because of it. Grenoble is also a great city because it is pretty walkable and the tram system can get you pretty much anywhere in the city or the suburbs. Many places, such as restaurants, cafes, museums, the ski companies, transportation companies, etc. in Grenoble have student discounts (from what I understand this is the case in all of France). The location of Grenoble makes it easy to travel to other cities and countries at a decent price, too. I was able to travel multiple times to Switzerland and Germany because of the proximity and low cost, and while I didn't get a chance to go, Italy is also very close. If you like adventure and nature especially, I think you will be able to find many things to do in and around Grenoble, such as hiking, skiing, snowboarding, bouldering, and paddle boarding. The city also feels very safe; I never had any incidents of being in danger or anything bad happening, and neither did anyone else on my program.

Grenoble is a huge university city with 1/4 students being international or on exchange, so the opportunity to meet new people and try new things is huge. Grenoble is especially known for being a sporty city, so if you are into any outdoor activities it is also the place for you. I was able to learn French and communicate from being there and fully immersing myself. The CEA CAPA excursions, staff, and activities were so fun and very well planned out. I participated in every single activity available, and it was just truly the best 4 months of my life.