CEA CAPA Education Abroad in Grenoble, France

My experience in this program was unique because I was taking all my classes with other BU engineering students but was still a part of a broader program with CEA CAPA that included students from different schools studying different subjects. I really enjoyed studying in Grenoble in particular as I didn't know much about the city before going there and I think getting to experience French culture in a smaller, less touristy city really added to my experience. Despite being a smaller city, there are still so many restaurants, museums, and other places to explore in Grenoble and I recommend taking advantage of all of them and truly immersing yourself in the unique culture Grenoble has to offer.

I never expected spending a semester abroad to impact me on a particularly deep level; after all, my family travels as much as we can, so I figured it would just be a much longer version of that. I was in the rare position of being the only person in my particular CEA program, but not my location. This led to my developing three distinct groups of friends during my time in Grenoble, each amazing in its own distinct way. My friends from uni were a group made up of locals, the children of prominent international business-people, and long-term study abroad students. In short, they were the best and most interesting drinking buddies a girl could ask for, because where else will you get educated on Tanzanian ideas of respect and Taiwanese street style at the same time?
My CEA group felt, in a way, like home. They were all amazing, sunshine-y people who just made me feel at home during our weekly meetings with Patrick, the greatest program coordinator out there!
And to end it all, my host mom. This woman works night at day to keep her business afloat, supports two kids in collage, and yet finds the time to just sit and talk about life for two hours with a foreigner struggling desperately to keep up with her language. I cannot say enough positive things about my host mom, and about her many incredible friends that she was gracious enough to introduce me to.
The location might have been a selling point for me, but what really ended up having the biggest impact was the confounding range of people from different backgrounds I found myself happily surrounded by,

I loved the city of Grenoble, France and the CEA program so much that I decided to stay an extra semester by sudying abroad for a whole academic year! I fell in love with the French Alps and in Grenoble you can see the mountains off of every street corner. It's the perfect size city with a huge student population and lots to do. It's easy to get around with the tram and it's also all walkable. Grenoble is set in a valley so the winters aren't that bad and it rarely snowed. The CEA program made the whole process so easy and I never had any worries or issues. They take care of everything from housing to excursions. Patrick, the program director is the best and is so dedicated to all the students. He was the first to show us around the city and knows so much about French culture. I loved our weekly FACE meetings that were relaxed and engaging. My first semester I stayed with a host family and the second I lived in a residence hall with other international students. They both were amazing experiences and in great locations in the center of town. I was close to the river that runs through Grenoble that I'd love to run along and I always felt safe because there are a lot of locals who run, ride, or walk the path. Grenoble is a very safe city in general and I never once felt unsafe. I attended Grenoble Ecole de Management which is a small international business school and I met so many wonderful people there and learned so much. I could go on and on about my time in Grenoble and all the travel I did around Europe (13 countries!), but it overall changed my life and was the best year ever. Grenoble feels like home and I will surely be back soon.

Grenoble is a place that I had never heard of before, and upon arriving, remember crying for my first two days for not haven chosen to study abroad at a more popular location such as Prague or Madrid where my other friends had gone. However, being alone with no ties to home and complete strangers on the other side of the world, was undoubtedly the best decision of my life. Grenoble has a strange way of making you feel like you're right at home with the benefit of the mountains, student atmosphere, and always friendly and ready to help supervisors on site. I never once felt homesick being in Grenoble, and I loved it so much after one semester, that I had to stay the full year to make sure I was doing it right. Grenoble has everything, and I owe all my future successes personally, professionally, and mentally to the help of Grenoble Ecole de Management and the town of Grenoble for pushing me out of my comfort zone.

I studied in Grenoble with CEA and loved it. The city itself is young and lively with beautiful mountains surrounding it on all sides. I originally picked CEA for its reasonable price and am very glad I did. The programs director Patrick was very welcoming and enriched the experience with his many cultural activities and great humor. I would definitely recommend this program if you are interested in France, the Alpes and a great learning experience.

Grenoble is a wonderful city full of history and fun. Patrick, the program coordinator, makes your trip the best with his support and general knowledge. I would go back in a heartbeat. My favorite part was our walking tours of Grenoble and drink coffee at one of the oldest cafés in France! Patrick will also take you to other cities in France and will make you feel more and more like a local. Get ready for a nice sized city, great public transportation and lots of activities!

Living and studying in Grenoble for four months was a great experience. I went through some important and life-changing growth during my time away. Our site director was a great presence to have around - super supportive, knowledgeable and always had something funny to say. The city itself was beautiful - the alps were always rising above you no matter where you were in the city. The school was a solid place to network and to learn about the importance of globalization in business.

I had an absolutely amazing time studying in Grenoble, and I miss being there so much. The city is beautiful, and it's the perfect size. Big enough to have events going on and plenty of places to shop and eat, but it is also small enough that you can really get to know the city and feel at home. Grenoble is surrounded by three mountain ranges and intersected by two rivers, which create such a beautiful backdrop for the perfect city. Grenoble's location means there is no lack of places to hike and be out in nature. The city is also not far from other major cities: Lyon is about an hour away, Geneva is about two, and Marseille is about three, and all are easily accessible by train. Not to mention, the food is incredible in France and the cheese is so cheap. I ate so much and gained a little weight but it was so worth it... What's more, CEA is the perfect study abroad provider. They will help you so much before, during and after your study abroad experience. Patrick is the program director in Grenoble, and he is so kind, helpful, funny and so much fun to be around. He is always there if you have any questions or issues or even if you're just bored. Every other Thursday, Patrick holds a program he calls FACE, which is basically where we all come to Patrick's office to eat French food and learn something about France or work on an art project. Honestly, FACE was probably my favorite part of studying in Grenoble with CEA. No other program there had something like that, and it was so much fun. I would look forward to it all week. I also made so many friends in Grenoble, both from CEA and from my courses at the university. If you take classes through the French language program, you will be at the CUEF where you'll take French courses with other international students. It's an incredible opportunity to meet students from all over the world, and I am still in touch with some of my classmates who live thousands of miles away from me. I chose to live in the residence hall, which certainly had its pros and cons. I was closer to the university that way, but a little farther from the city center. The room was small and the beds felt like rocks. There was a kitchenette, which was nice to have but it was extremely small. On the bright side, our room was cleaned weekly and I was living with other students. If I had to do it over; however, I would probably chose to stay in the apartment. Overall, my experience was nearly perfect. I'm so glad I chose CEA and Grenoble because I cannot imagine having as much fun as I did anywhere else. I cannot recommend CEA enough. They were so helpful and made everything so easy. If you're thinking about studying abroad in France, go to Grenoble, even if most people you know haven't heard of it. France is so much more than Paris, and Grenoble will give you an authentic French experience.