This experience was one of the best ones in my entire life. This program met all of my study abroad expectations. The location itself was perfect, Cannes is absolutely amazing. The campus provided dorms for its students with all accommodations needed. The campus is located right next to the beach, which was a huge plus. The campus is an international campus, meaning there are students from all over the world staying there. One of the best parts of the program was the residential director, Sandrine. She helped us adjust to life in France, and provided us with many unique opportunities. We went on several amazing excursions that allowed us to practice our French with French natives. These excursions also allowed us to enrich our knowledge of French culture. I would definitely recommend this program to anyone looking to study abroad in France.

This was such an incredible and enriching learning experience. Everyone in the program was by my side helping me succeed in my academics, as well as helping me learn about and see the world. I loved my teachers; the staff; our director, Sandrine; the school; the locals; everyone that I came into contact with. I feel very grateful that I was able to enroll in this program because it allowed me to see more of France through the different excursions, while still being able to have my own travel and keep up with my studies.

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.

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.

To live and work in Paris may seem exciting and terrifying all at the same time: trust me, it is! However, with the amazing support and all-the-time guidance from the on-site cooridnators, there is no way to transition more smoothly into one of the most legendary, romantic, historical, and beautiful cities of the world. My particular internship was in architecture, and what better place to admire buildings from across the spectrum of all ages than in the City of Lights? Paris also has that unique ability to create opportunities that may not be available anywhere else in the world. Imagine this: I went to the Musee D'Orsay to sketch some of the sculptures kept in the main gallery. Whilst I was busy sketching, the Chief of Media of the Museum happened to come to chat to me because he liked my sketch work. A short while later I was having champagne with not only the Chief of Media but with the Director himself! Who knows what may happen... Not only does an internship abroad look great on one's CV, but the hands-on experience of working in the Capital is invaluable in broadening one's professional perspective not only in job skills, but in networking and PR as well. As a student, one also has many perks of being young: month passes on the entire Parisian transport network as well as annual train-service memberships are offered to those younger than 25 at a discounted rate. I definitely recommend the Carte Jeune for those with a limited budget but unlimited wanderlust. From the extensive metro and RER network to the boulangeries and cafés on every street corner, one cannot help but become Parisian without even knowing it!

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!

I wasn't quite sure what to think before studying abroad, about how I would fit in or enjoy an overseas country by myself. I have spent a number of years living abroad with my family prior. However, to use a cliche expression, Cannes was literally a life-changing experience for me. The classes and professors were amazing at teaching French, the students I met from around the world were fun to meet and share stories with, and the friends I made are some of my best friends till this day a year later. The food is great in France, most of it came from a grocery store a mile down the road that I fell in love with, but the cafeteria was a fun experience too. Housing in the dorms was incredible, you got to meet and become great friends with all the students there from all over the world, and my room even had a view of the Mediterranean, not to mention its only a 100 foot walk to the beach.

In addition, I'd like to give special thanks to AIFS and the program director Sandrine who was there and showed us around both the incredible town of Cannes, and on all our excursions, which were better than I could have hoped for by miles. I got to see huge portions of southern France, experience the food, learn the language and converse with people from all over the world, relax, party, study, explore, and really discover myself and what I wanted to do with the rest of college and afterwards. I am now onto the Peace Corps to keep travelling as much as I can! Thanks AIFS!

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!!