As a French major who loves to travel, the decision to study abroad in France was a no brainer for me. When it came to choosing which city to stay in, I really wanted to be immersed in the language, so it made sense for me to go to a smaller city where people were likely to speak less English. When I found Grenoble, it was perfect as it was not a huge city, but also large enough to have plenty of things to do.
I had such an amazing experience there. I made friends in my classes instantly as everyone was also anxious to meet new people, and not only did we explore the city and the local region together, but I also found many friends to travel with. Something that surprised me about my program is that we had two week-long breaks, one in February and one in April. During these I travelled to Ireland and the UK as well as Greece with some good friends I had made abroad. Both were such wonderful experiences that also taught me a lot. Of course it was insightful to be amongst different cultures, but I also learned how to adapt to and work with different personality types and became more comfortable with travel. I also had the opportunity to travel alone at times, which aided greatly in my self-confidence and independence.
Besides travel, another one of my favorite aspects of being abroad was the conversations I had with the international students in my program and strangers I met while travelling. I loved hearing their perspectives of and questions about the US, and most of them were very open to share about their countries as well. Often, it felt that they were much more tolerant and accepting of differing opinions than people in the states, so I was constantly having honest, insightful conversations and learning something new.
Although I had great interactions with the international students in my program, I unfortunately did not meet many French people. I made the decision to stay with a host family in Grenoble, and thankfully, it was a wonderful experience. I lived with a mom, dad, and four little girls ages 6-13, so there was never a dull moment. I found living with children was very helpful with improving my French because I felt much less pressure when speaking to them, and they were always trying to help me. I met some of their friends and extended family during various occasions, but besides that, I seldom spoke to any French people outside of ordering food. So, I would definitely recommend staying in a host family to anyone looking to study abroad for language learning.
At some points, I was putting so much pressure on myself to make the most of my experience because I knew it was only a short period of time. I had to learn to have days of rest between the excitement and to use the negative experiences for growth. There were times I felt homesick, I once lost my wallet and passport (that I thankfully got back), booked the wrong train ticket and got fined, sprained my knee skiing, and so much more, but ultimately, I feel I am much more adaptable now and know how to stay calm in a crisis. It was important for me to remember these were all part of the experience and just funny stories I’d be able to tell later. Studying abroad definitely changed my life for the better, and I really like the person that I am now because of all that I experienced.
Ansley Barry (BS Communication, BA International Studies & French) spent Spring 2024 studying abroad in Grenoble, France through API. Ansley had the following to say about studying abroad, “Studying abroad definitely changed my life for the better, and I really like the person
that I am now because of all that I experienced. Travelling is one of the best ways to become more open-minded, independent, confident, and to truly better understand yourself and the world.”
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