My Year in Toulouse - Meet Ambassador Abroad Sylvie

Meet Sylvie, a school year from Lake Ridge High School. She is studying abroad in Toulouse, France on our High School Immersion In Toulouse, France.

We asked Sylvie a few questions about her time abroad and experiences on a CIEE high school abroad program.

Q: How do you make friends?

A: It can be really intimidating making friends in a new school as well as another country. Especially going from Americans outgoing personalities whereas the French are more closed off. It can be difficult to put yourself out there since there's not much in class work time where you can talk to people or group projects. My biggest piece of advice would be to get out of your comfort zone. If someone seems nice, go up to them and ask to sit with them at lunch. You have to put effort into finding friends but it's extremely worth it!

Q: How hard are your classes?

A: School is definitely going to be harder in your host country than what you're used to. No matter how well you speak the language it's going to be challenging. Some teachers may not understand just how hard it is for you as a foreign exchange student, but other students are usually willing to explain or help you out if the teacher can't. CIEE also offers to help you find a tutor or other ways to help if you need it too!

Q: Are your credits getting transferred?

A: I personally, am not receiving credit unless it can count for a class I'm missing and it's above a C. This is how my school handles exchange year grades, but everyone is different. So this is definitely a conversation you want to have with your counselor before leaving! I had my exchange planned since my Freshman year so I made sure I had a full schedule my first two years of high school. That way when I come back from my exchange I wouldn't have to take summer school or be overwhelmed my senior year. During my sophomore year and my exchange year I took my junior year of English online through BYU as well as my civics class. If your school in America offers this as an option I would recommend it. You can also ask your counselor if you can take a required junior/senior class in advance as a freshman or sophomore. All in all do whatever you can to prepare for your exchange in advance, in all matters but especially for school.

Q: How do you deal with homesickness?

A: Even though everyone experiences homesickness differently, these are some things I do to make myself feel better. Firstly, I ask my parents/sister/friends when they can facetime. It truly does help talking to them and even just an hour call can make you feel like you're only a couple minutes away from each other and not a couple thousand miles away. Then I ask if one of my friends on exchange with me can talk. Having the other CIEE kids going through the same experience makes it easy to talk to them about your homesickness. Whether you just want to vent and get it out or get advice it is great to talk to someone who knows exactly how you feel. You can also talk to your host family about it! Make them aware of what you're feeling and they will be there to try and make you feel better! The same goes for your CIEE coordinator, they're there to help you! Something I don't recommend is wallowing, sometimes you might want to cry and soak in your sadness which is healthy, but it's also good to force yourself out of that. Listen to happy music, go on a walk, eat a sweet treat! Whatever will get you in a happier mood, do it.

Q: What's it like living with a host family?

A: Living with a host family is an original experience and will be different from living with your normal family. Your host family isn't meant to be the same as your family back home, they will have different traditions and ways of life. Learning about French culture by living with a real French family is a great way to learn about a country and its people. Spending time with your host parents and host siblings is important, and deepens your connections with them.

Q: How are meals or food different?

A: For me personally the aspects of eating a meal (not the food) haven't changed all that much. In America my family tends to eat dinner around 7:30-8:00pm just like my family here. My parents back home and host family both require us to eat together so that wasn't different for me either. As for breakfast and lunch I eat by myself in the mornings here, and lunch is at school unless it's the weekend or a Wednesday. In France all kids get the afternoon off on Wednesdays, and lots of adults as well. Therefore I go back home at 1:00pm and eat lunch with my host mom. Foodwise I would say there's a lot less variety of foods here, unless you go out to eat. Most French families cook strictly French or western European meals. It's a lot of pasta, cheese, and meat. They also don't tend to spice their food. One of the great things about meals in France is that the school lunch is exceptional! I receive an entree, two pieces of baguette, the main dish, and a choice between a fruit, dessert, or cheese. You're definitely going to miss some of your meals from home but it's so fun to try new foods and learn about different cultures' cuisines.

Q: Do you hang out with the other kids who are abroad with CIEE?

A: I have made some lifelong friends who are in my CIEE group! I highly recommend hanging out with the other exchange students. It's extremely refreshing to talk to someone who not only speaks the same language as you but also understands what you are going through. You may not be at school with the other kids but don't worry because there are ways to see each other. You have the CIEE excursions, or you can plan your own hang outs together. Even though I'm an hour and a half away from all the other students we will meet up in Toulouse most weekends to see each other. In my experience the trains are very simple to use in France and there can be some great deals, so go explore with your friends!

Q: Is it worth it to do the year abroad vs the semester?

A: I am so happy I chose to do the year abroad and not just the semester. This is a difficult decision for anyone to make and I understand some people have sports or clubs that conflict with them being away or maybe you just don't want to be gone for 9 months. All reasons to come back are understandable but I truly don't think a semester is enough time. Everyone is different but I do know that the two kids who did the fall semester with me, wanted to stay in France when it was time to leave. It's not easy to be gone for 9 months but I think it's extremely worth it, you have so much more time to make connections with people, learn the language, and explore your host country. I know I made the right choice and I hope everyone who faces this decision feels the same.

Thank you, Sylvie, for sharing your CIEE experience! 

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