Sarah Sullivan, a student majoring in French and Francophone Studies, participated in the Nantes Study Abroad Program during the 2022/2023 school year.
Major: French and Francophone Studies
Specialization: Teacher Education Stream
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Testimonial
Click on the tabs below to find out what she thought about the experience
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Major: French and Francophone Studies
Minor: English
Specialization: Teacher Education Stream
What was your most memorable experience while in Nantes? -
Traveling! Being able to go to 10 countries in Europe. It was such an experience of a lifetime and I will never be able to have that opportunity again. Also, having my family come visit me was awesome because we all got to experience France together!
- In what ways did your French improve while abroad?
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I think that my French improved in the aspect of comprehension while listening to conversations because they speak so fast and it is a very different dialect compared to French Canadians. I also believe that my vocabulary increased because I got to learn different slang words they use as well as different verbs and adjectives that enhance my own French speaking skills.
- What was your favourite place to travel to and why?
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I LOVED Greece so much. The food, the atmosphere, the ocean, the activities were amazing. I would go back there in a heartbeat. I also am obsessed with Mamma Mia so I felt like I was living my Donna Sheridan lifestyle. Paris was also amazing. I loved everything about it and it was always a dream of mine to go to Paris therefore it was like a dream come true.
- What’s one piece of advice you would give to future Nantes goers and why?
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Embrace every aspect. Culture, food, the university, language, traditions, events, host family, excursions, everything.
- How did you enjoy school in Nantes compared to Trent? What were some differences?
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School in Nantes was awesome! We only had to go to school twice a week from 9-3 with a lunch break in between. It was great for being able to travel and do other things while we were there. The professors are amazing. They helped whenever we needed help and were so accommodating to the fact that we were English first language students. They also were very involved in our experience. There were field trips, excursions, and the profs loved hearing about our weekends and what we did. A difference I think is that our classes were only for study abroad people, therefore class sizes were small and intimate and some Trent classes are not like that. It is very similar to Trent, lots of nature around and the campus was smallish, and the professors are kind and amazing just like Trent.
- What was the biggest difference you found between France and Canada?
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France reminded me of Old Quebec with the cobblestones road and little shops all around. The population I think was a big difference. Nantes is a big city therefore there are more people in one place. It's like Toronto in a way which is different then Peterborough or Oshawa.
- How was the food?
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TO DIE FOR. European food is WAY superior to Canadian food. Just getting a baguette from the little grocery store is heavenly. I could eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. France and the European countries I went to all had amazing food.
- How was the transportation?
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Easy, quick, reliable. The Tram is what we used alot in Nantes to get to downtown or school when it rained. It came every 6 mins and would drop you off almost in the exact spot where you wanted to be. It is like a TTC bus but almost like a train. I personally used UBER to get to the airport because it was easy to split with friends and quicker but that was also easy to navigate in a foreign country.
- How were the residences?
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Cute and cozy. I loved the fact that we had our own washrooms although they were small. In my first year at Trent, I shared communal washrooms so this was an upgrade. In my room, I had a pretty view of trees and the sunset looked so nice at some points.
- How were the people?
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Our professors were very nice and some shop owners would be polite to understand we were not fluent therefore helped with grammar or had patience when we would order.
- Would you go back to Nantes? Why?
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Yes. Nantes is something that will be in my memories forever and I am so glad that I got to go there and have an experience of independence and trying new things. I got to make friends with people that will last me a lifetime and I got to have a new home for a brief period of time that will always be my small home even though I am gone.