The superb quality of life in the south of France is renowned, and this holds true for students spending a semester or year at the Aix Center. While the program is rigorous, students find they have time to enjoy the cafés, parks, museums, clubs, and numerous other activities commonly found in a medium-sized city, or to take advantage of many outdoor activities available in the region.

The Aix Center's experienced staff greatly minimizes the inevitable culture shock of the first few days in France and provides a broad spectrum of support during the student's stay. The Office of Student Services is an information base where students can get help with any concern, be it related to housing, weekend excursions, activities, or arrangements for language exchange.

Students are placed with pre-selected French hosts, many of whom have been hosting Aix students for years. Living with a French host is one of the best ways to integrate the language and culture into the total study abroad experience. If there are reasons a student needs to live independently, an apartment can be found once the student arrives in France.

After an extensive orientation and introduction to the school and town, Aix students begin their daily routine of enjoying breakfast with their host, walking through the busy cobblestone streets to class, buying and eating lunch at the outdoor market or café, studying, eating dinner with their host, and depending on the day, going to clubs or the cinema or studying with friends.

There are an enviable amount of travel activities for students studying in Aix-en-Provence. Marseilles, the Mediterranean and the Maritime Alps are only an hour away, and Nice, Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Saint Tropez, Paris, Milan, Rome and Geneva are all within one day of travel, perfect for a weekend trip. Many courses include trips in their curriculum; many others are organized by Aix staff. Students are also encouraged to strike out on their own and explore their new surroundings.

SPRING 2009 EXCURSIONS

"I believe that I am now better prepared to travel and work confidently in today's international environment."
Name: Mara Francoise Coffman
College: University of Pittsburgh
Major: Anthropology and French

"Many people think that Paris is France, and, in so doing, miss out on a lot of the richness of French culture. Because Paris is very cosmopolitan and international it is a little more like the US. Other parts of France are much more conscious of France itself."
Name: Sam Edwards
College: Harvard University
Major: Economics