High School Experiential Learning Programs in Nice

Best month of my life, by far. The only word I can think of to describe this past summer is “unreal”. Nothing can compare to sipping tea at Kensington Palace, climbing the Arc de Triomphe and eating pastries atop the Eiffel Tower, sailing down Amsterdam's canals, visiting a giant German castle overlooking a stunning alpine lake, paragliding and whitewater rafting in the Swiss Alps, having brunch in a rotating restaurant on top of a nearly 3,000-meter-tall mountain, negotiating at an Italian leather market, relaxing at a gorgeous villa on a winery, exploring the Roman Colosseum, hiking in the beautiful Cinque Terre, swimming in the crystal-clear waters of the French Riviera, and partaking in a Spanish Tapas Masterchef-esque tournament, all within a month. This is just a small taste of what this trip has to offer. The amount of meaningful memories I’ve made is endless. I met new friends, tried new foods, experienced SO many things for the first time, and had an absolutely surreal amount of fun. 10/10 across the board.

The Abbey Road Nice Program was the best summer of my life thus far. From the very beginning, my parents were impressed with the responsiveness of Abbey Road and it really helped them have confidence in sending me abroad for five weeks. When I finally left, I felt very comfortable with the staff on the trip and in Nice. The program was led by a longtime local who was very knowledgeable and I believe this helped contribute to the success of the program. Not only was the director very knowledgeable but the teaching staff was also very helpful and fun in our daily lessons. The lessons were always immersive and interactive. While we spent some time on traditional classroom learning, the majority of our instruction was given to us in and around Nice. I loved the staff's devotion to getting us out and about. I had so much fun on all of our excursions to surrounding cities and countries and not only did this better my French, but it also improved my city-navigating skills. There are a few important things to know before you go on the trip. First, you have to be an optimistic and open-minded kid. The weather in Nice is very hot and sunny so if you are someone who is brought down by the sometimes draining weather, either be aware of this beforehand and limit complaints or simply do not go on this trip. Second, if you are looking for a program that is 100% French, all day, everyday, this is not the program. While we spoke a lot of French during the instruction time, the time spent with my friends was mostly in English. I do think my French improved though and I will say that the program will be as good as you make it with regards to the French-speaking part. Third, you have to be very careful with spending on the trip. Abbey Road provides all of the food, but some people did not like the food and decided to go out instead. All I will say is that you have to be vigilant of how much you spend on food and shopping on your trip. I am so grateful for my parents for sending me on this trip and I will never forget all the memories and friends that I made. I am happy to say that my experience with Abbey Road has inspired me to continue my French learning and go on a year abroad in Switzerland next year.