French Study Abroad Programs in Grenoble, France

I always wanted to go back to France and truly understand the meaning of life in another country. The only time traveling to France is to visit family on my mother’s side. So being able to visit the country on my own, in a part of France I have never visited, was an eye opening experience. Living by myself encouraged me to learn how to cook many different platters that I wouldn’t normally have, and pushed me to go out and explore the city. I had great support from the AIFS and CUEF team. Miranda Rea was amazing and helped me through some difficult times. She was encouraging and supportive and without her I believe I’d have a difficult time crossing the finish line. Class was difficult yet fun. I’ve learned so many different grammar rules and learned that even though you make some mistakes, “just know everyone makes mistakes in French. Even the French!”, Professor Kristof would say that to me when I’d make a common mistake that most francophone people do. However, I did catch on pretty quickly since I’m bilingual in French and English. In all, I had a wonderful experience and would recommend this organization to whoever is looking for an exciting learning experience in a different country!

I went abroad with AIFS in fall 2024 at Université Grenoble Alpes, and I was very attracted by the immersion and language-learning aspect that AIFS and the UGA program provided. I was placed in a wonderful homestay (with pets!), and I knew I could count on either my host or the AIFS resident director if I needed anything at all, from homework help to personal matters like homesickness. AIFS supported me--and my parents--during the entire registration and departure process. There were a lot of nerves going into the semester, but I was put at ease by how welcoming and helpful my host and resident director were, as well as the new friends I made at UGA. The AIFS resident director helped familiarize me with the city, and I got to experience so many aspects of French culture from cuisine to history to art while exploring Grenoble during the semester. My classes taught me a lot about French culture as well, including social and linguistic customs that you I never learned from a textbook. My French skills increased exponentially from the beginning of the semester to the end thanks to the immersive courses in UGA's CUEF program. Being abroad not only showed me how adaptable and confident I could become in my independence, but I also got to make friends from opposite ends of the world that I still stay in touch with today. I would recommend AIFS Abroad to any student looking to be challenged academically, is adventurous, and wants to go out of their comfort zone to explore the world and the culture and friendships it has to offer.