Centre International d鈥櫭塼udes Fran莽aises (CIDEF) Testimonials
Ava Williams
Age (while abroad): 19
Degree(s): Political Science; English minor
What was your prior language knowledge (if applicable)?:
Only two years of highschool French.
Where did you go?: Angers, France.
In what school did you study?:
Centre International d鈥櫭塼udes Fran莽aises (CIDEF)
When did you go?:
July 1st, 2024 -July 27th, 2024
Have you studied abroad before?: No
Why did you do study abroad?:
I want to experience the world outside of the bubble I鈥檝e grown comfortable with.
While we all know that life varies from culture to culture, it is hard to conceptually
realize how vast the world is until you go out and experience it for yourself.
Would you do this again?:
I would love to study abroad again. Since I was in France for only a month, I鈥檇 really
enjoy spending a longer period of time studying outside of the country.
What was your favorite part?:
There was so much to love. Creating a daily routine for myself in a foreign country
was really neat. Not only did I get to learn another language, but I became accustomed
to French social norms and explored Angers until I became very familiar with it. A
highlight of my trip was when a French speaker came up to me on the street asking
for directions. I knew the town well enough to give directions, and I was able to
respond in comprehensible French! I started this program with very little French language
skills, so this was a big feat for me!
What was your least favorite part?:
At first, the full French language immersion was pretty challenging, it pushed me
out of my comfort zone. It was daunting going into the language program with very
little French knowledge. Ultimately, I enjoyed the full immersion as it allowed me
to pick up on the language quickly. It was also extremely difficult to say goodbye
to the community that was created at CIDEF. There were so many wonderful people from
across the world that I became close friends with.
How has study abroad affected your life now?:
Being abroad showed me how much I value experiencing other cultures and opened my
mind to many possible careers in the international realm. It also gave me a fresh
perspective on American politics. As a PoliSci major, it was super neat to observe
America from an outsider's point of view. Being away for a bit also amplified my gratitude
for Montana.
What did you learn, outside of academics, from your study abroad experience?:
Studying abroad showed me how fully independent I am capable of being. I learned to
not be scared of new experiences, especially when you have to do it alone.
What advice you would offer students interested in studying abroad?:
Go for it! There's only so much time and truly so much to experience in the world. Studying abroad is an amazing way to grow as an individual. While it can seem costly, studying abroad is actually a very affordable way to travel the world, learn new concepts, and become fully immersed in a new culture. Studying abroad is 100% worth it.
Isabella Harris
Age (while abroad): 19
Degree(s): Nursing
What was your prior language knowledge (if applicable)?:
I had no prior language knowledge before studying abroad. I spoke very little Spanish
and no French before studying abroad.
Where did you go?:
I spent a month in Angers, France.
In what school did you study?:
I studied at the Catholic University of Angers.
When did you go?:
I went in July 2023.
Have you studied abroad before?:
I had never done a study abroad program however, I had been abroad traveling with
my family the summer before.
Why did you do study abroad?:
I chose to study abroad because I wanted to be immersed in other cultures and meet
people worldwide. I also wanted to experience traveling alone before moving out of
my hometown!
Would you do this again?:
Absolutely!
What was your favorite part?:
My favorite part of the program was spending time every day with all of the friends
I made and hearing about all of the different places they were from. Everyone was
so kind and I made so many lifelong friends I would have never met otherwise!
What was your least favorite part?:
There was nothing about the program that I would say was my least favorite part! I
do think having class every day at 8 was a challenge for me because I am not a morning
person!
How has study abroad affected your life now?:
I would say my experience abroad has broadened my perspective on how people live in
other cultures and has made me a more open-minded person overall. I feel like I gained
a lot of confidence and independence from this experience! It also made me more aware
of a lot of the differences between America and the rest of the world especially in
terms of public transport and diet.
What did you learn, outside of academics, from your study abroad experience?:
I learned a lot about fashion in France and how differently people present themselves
in comparison to America. I also learned a lot about myself and realized how important
it is to be independent! It definitely gave me lots of confidence and I loved feeling
responsible for myself and my belongings. Being in another country with a language
barrier forced me to be responsible and rely on myself for everything I needed which
gave me lots of trust in myself!
What advice you would offer students interested in studying abroad?:
I would say that it is a really rewarding experience and if anyone has an opportunity
to study abroad I would highly recommend it! I think it is a really good experience
that will broaden your horizons and introduce you to new cultures and amazing people!
Wade Kerner
Age (while abroad): 27
Degree(s): Mathematics
Where did you go?:. Angers, France
In what school did you study?: CIDEF / UCO
When did you go?: Feb 2020 - June 2020 (Spring 2020 semester)
What was your prior language knowledge (if applicable)?: Two semesters at MSUB Have you studied abroad before?: NoWhy did you do study abroad?:
The math major program had a foreign language requirement of 2 semesters. I thought this was asinine so I decided to take more than 2 semesters and learn enough of a foreign language for it to be useful.
Would you do this again?: Yes
What was your favorite part?:
Hands down it was communicating with other students from around the world. Being part of a conversation where the only shared language is a secondary language at best was humbling. It required patience from all the parties involved and when the message was comprehended there was a shared joy of knowing that what you said was actually understandable or that you understood something in a foreign language. There was a visible desire to say more, but at my classmates and my current level, we had to use other non verbal cues to fully understand the magnitude or meaning of a statement.
What was your least favorite part?:
The confinement because of COVID-19
How has study abroad affected your life now?:
It has raised my confidence in my abilities to travel around the world and provided
me with a wealth of memories of a foreign country.
What did you learn, outside of academics, from your study abroad experience?:
I learned that we are mostly the same; we just come from different parts of the world and have different accents.
What advice you would offer students interested in studying abroad?:
Do it. It鈥檚 not as expensive as you think, and it鈥檚 an incredible experience.