AIFS Abroad: Study, Intern, or Study & Intern in France

I had the pleasure of working in Upper concept store, a boutique/art gallery/event space in the 4th district of Paris, France. The coordinator at Global Experiences did a really good job of setting me up with a job I wanted - while there, I helped creative business & marketing strategies for the concept store. I felt very involved in the workplace and rarely had any downtime while at work. When I had time to myself, I made lots of friends in the program and traveled all over France and to Rome & Amsterdam. This was by far the best summer of my life! I would definitely recommend this program to anyone who is looking to do a summer 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!

My name is Maria, I am 25 and was born in Madrid, Spain. I was studying Graphic Design in NYC and decided to move back to Europe for a while. Even though, I've been very lucky to have the chance to live all over, this was my first time living and working in a francophone country. I was very familiar with Paris before coming as I have a few friends that live here and I had visited several times. However, it is never the same when you actually live in a place. You get to discover many aspects of the daily life and culture. I was incredibly lucky with my internship at an art gallery. I am very artistic person so being in Paris and working there was the perfect match for me. I got to learn a lot about the industry and how the art business works. I also got to work on my french and my social skills in a foreign language which I think is very useful and satisfying at the same time. I loved every second of the experience. I you enjoy being out of your confort zone and exploring new cities, and getting to know different people, you'll love it!

Overall, my experience with Global Experiences was great! From the start, everything was straightforward and you get what you pay for, black and white just like that. The GE team was very attentive and I must say, they earnestly try to find the best internship that is suitable with your qualifications. I didn't have any concrete experience at all when I applied, after my internship as a fashion editor and writer for a Parisian magazine I can say now that I do. I honestly only have good things to say about Global Experiences. They truly do everything that is in your best interests and are there for you when you and your employer clash for work-related reasons. It must be said that sometimes internships are not the most ideal, but that is not in any way their fault as you can only have what you are qualified to do. In conclusion, I had a great time in Paris this summer because of them and I would do it again if I could. :)

I have always dreamed of going to Paris one day. Not for a vacation, but to actually experience the culture and life-style of French people for a couple of months. Global Experiences made my dreams come true, I came to Paris as an intern for two months and these two months abroad were the best couple of months in my entire life. My dream would not have came true without Global Experiences because they took care of everything, they got me an amazing internship, a place a to stay, a location coordinator and so much more.
I'm so grateful to Global Experiences for making my summer so unbelievably amazing and a once in a lifetime experience I will never forget!
Thank you so much Global Experiences!

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!