Middlebury School in France: Bordeaux

I had an incredible semester in Bordeaux with the Middlebury Schools Abroad. I think the highlight of my 4 months there was living with my host family, they were so supportive and helpful with any questions I had about life in Bordeaux. I loved having the freedom to explore this new city on my own and with friends from the program and other international students. The French university system is very different from the United States so it definitely took some getting used to, but other than that it was so interested to learn in a new environment.

I really loved Bordeaux throughout my experience there! The size of the city was perfect for me, not too big and overwhelming, but still offered new and different activities to do each weekend. The bordelaise people were always kind and understanding, and especially respected the fact that I wanted to practice my French - even though they could tell I was American. Living with my host family was part of what made my experience so special; they were always pushing me to try typical French foods, learn local slang, explore new corners of the city, and they would check up on me every night at dinner. I felt a lot of freedom and independence in Bordeaux which allowed me to be myself at all times, and especially allowed me to delve into the culture enthusiastically. I would recommend Bordeaux to anyone learning French!

I had a really wonderful timing during my semester studying abroad at SciencesPo Bordeaux with Middlebury's School in France. I chose Bordeaux because I wanted to study in a city other than the capital of a country. I felt it would be a more immersive experience, a more manageable city to explore during one semester, and perhaps even a little less expensive with respect to day to day spending than Paris. I also wanted a very immersive experience so I chose to live with a host family and commit to eating most of my meals with them. My host family was one of, if not the, most impactful parts of my stay in France. They were incredibly welcoming -- I was treated like part of the family from the day I arrived. Our dinner time conversations and weekends spent together were the most instrumental part of my French improvement. I also loved my time at Sciences Po Bordeaux. The academics were rigorous -- I had to put in time and care into my classes and school work -- and I learned a great deal. I made friends at the local university and participated in various outings and events (a wine gala and an overnight backpacking trip in the Pyrenees mountains). I so enjoyed France that I returned for an internship in Paris the following summer and have declared a French major.