Rewarding Summer

I thoroughly enjoyed my abroad experience with IAU. Aix is a great city for students - lively yet safe, and the people are very excited to share their culture. I felt supported by the university but not coddled. There are many opportunities to travel and learn through the university, but you still have the time and freedom to explore independently. Classes provide a wealth of information but are still very manageable. Professors understand that a large part of your education is first-hand experience of the culture around you. I highly recommend living with a host family. My only caution is to remember that an overwhelming majority of the students in the program (with whom you will spend the majority of your time) are native English speakers. So, if you are looking to be fully immersed in the language, you may want to take this into consideration. However, I felt that my language skills improved, and I learned A LOT culturally because I was able to exchange deeper concepts in my native language.