Study Abroad and Domestic Study Away

My semester so far at Nantes has been incredible.  

I am so happy to be participating in this program, as studying abroad to France has been one of my biggest goals, ever since I started taking French classes my freshman year.  

I applied to participate in a language intensive program, which all of my courses are centered around different aspects of learning a language, such as writing, speaking, and listening. Along with these courses, I am taking a class about French culture as well as French gastronomy. Something that I had to get used to is the fact that all of my classes are taught in French. Although it seems like an obvious point when partaking in a language program, it was quite difficult in the beginning as my brain was trying to comprehend and translate at the same time. Yet, I feel that living in a French speaking environment while learning the language allows for a real-life application of the things that I have learned in class. There have been moments where I felt myself improving, which leads to further motivation in elevating my French skills.  

Since my arrival, I have taken a few opportunities to travel within France and Europe. My first weekend trip was to Paris and seeing the Eiffel Tower and famous paintings such as Mona Lisa (La Joconde) and Liberty Leading the People (La Liberté guidant le peuple) in The Louvre was amazing! This past February, I spent my winter break to travel with a friend to Lyon, Geneva, Rome, Sorrento, and Barcelona. Exploring the different cities, landscapes, history and food has allowed me to see first-hand of the diverse cultures that make up each country. They all have been an eye-opening experience and I hope to have more through my future travels this semester.