Go to Grenoble!!

I had an absolutely amazing time studying in Grenoble, and I miss being there so much. The city is beautiful, and it's the perfect size. Big enough to have events going on and plenty of places to shop and eat, but it is also small enough that you can really get to know the city and feel at home. Grenoble is surrounded by three mountain ranges and intersected by two rivers, which create such a beautiful backdrop for the perfect city. Grenoble's location means there is no lack of places to hike and be out in nature. The city is also not far from other major cities: Lyon is about an hour away, Geneva is about two, and Marseille is about three, and all are easily accessible by train. Not to mention, the food is incredible in France and the cheese is so cheap. I ate so much and gained a little weight but it was so worth it... What's more, CEA is the perfect study abroad provider. They will help you so much before, during and after your study abroad experience. Patrick is the program director in Grenoble, and he is so kind, helpful, funny and so much fun to be around. He is always there if you have any questions or issues or even if you're just bored. Every other Thursday, Patrick holds a program he calls FACE, which is basically where we all come to Patrick's office to eat French food and learn something about France or work on an art project. Honestly, FACE was probably my favorite part of studying in Grenoble with CEA. No other program there had something like that, and it was so much fun. I would look forward to it all week. I also made so many friends in Grenoble, both from CEA and from my courses at the university. If you take classes through the French language program, you will be at the CUEF where you'll take French courses with other international students. It's an incredible opportunity to meet students from all over the world, and I am still in touch with some of my classmates who live thousands of miles away from me. I chose to live in the residence hall, which certainly had its pros and cons. I was closer to the university that way, but a little farther from the city center. The room was small and the beds felt like rocks. There was a kitchenette, which was nice to have but it was extremely small. On the bright side, our room was cleaned weekly and I was living with other students. If I had to do it over; however, I would probably chose to stay in the apartment. Overall, my experience was nearly perfect. I'm so glad I chose CEA and Grenoble because I cannot imagine having as much fun as I did anywhere else. I cannot recommend CEA enough. They were so helpful and made everything so easy. If you're thinking about studying abroad in France, go to Grenoble, even if most people you know haven't heard of it. France is so much more than Paris, and Grenoble will give you an authentic French experience.