Everything and More

I absolutely loved my semester in Nantes! I chose this program because I wanted to be in a city where I knew I could really work on my language skills and because I was interested in the teaching internship, but I got so much more than just that! I made amazing friends with the other students on my program, and we shared so many cool experiences. I taught English in a French school and worked alongside other French teachers, gaining valuable experience for prospective future jobs. IES hosted different cultural events every week, ranging from cooking workshops hosted by some of the host families to ice skating and exploring the city, all the way to weekend excursions like trips to the Loire Valley castles. It was great to be in the city of Nantes. I felt pretty safe in the city and there was always plenty of things to do. It was also quite easy to travel from Nantes to other cool places nearby. My one regret was not involving myself in the international community more, especially at the university. Everyone stayed with a host family, and I felt very at home with mine; we were so well matched! We all started the program at different levels in our French, but the staff and professors at IES met each of us where we were at and encouraged us all along the way as we progressed. By the end of the semester we had all come so far with our French! I'm so proud of the things I accomplished and the experiences I had during my semester abroad, I only wish it could have lasted longer.