Your First Days in Toulouse, France as a CIEE Global Navigator

There are a wide range of emotions involved when one suddenly finds themselves in Toulouse as a high school student for the summer. There are numerous moments of laughs, some fear, lots of joy, and plenty of learning; the list is endless. From conversations with some of the students – who spent four weeks in the Language and Culture program studying French, living with host families, while spending afternoons at cultural events – about their experiences, I heard about their numerous feelings about the first week studying abroad in Toulouse as a high school student. 

1. Culture Shock

One student noted that “getting to travel to Toulouse has turned a new page in my life and has taught me things that I could not learn elsewhere. The first week was a little overwhelming. Lots of culture shock but I made some good friends and I started to really enjoy myself.” 

The joy of being finally able to relax and enjoy your time in a new culture is such a big step. For Savannah, this moment came for her when she began to bond with her friends in the program and sharing the various experiences that they had in the city together. 

And of course, being away from from home can cause a moment of shock. Emily puts it this way:

The first week I felt very homesick as it was the first time away from my parents for so long. But as time went on I really started  to enjoy my time in toulouse

2. Confidence

One thing Aurora realized during her first week was how much more comfortable the space was compared to what she imagined. The friendly nature of the people in Toulouse allowed her to feel more confident in using the French she already knew and while it may have been overwhelming, she grew confident in her use of the language. 

“I feel like the first day was very overwhelming. I had to speak French for real. I realized that I had a greater ability to speak French than I realized.”

Another student, Natalie, in her first week in Toulouse, felt very confident. Natalie was ready to dive into her Toulouse journey as soon as she arrived. She stated in the first week that  “walking in the streets with the people she met during the program and viewing all the scenery inspired her.”

3. Community

For Marina, finding and having a community was one of the major weeks she quickly acclimatized to living in Toulouse for the summer. 

For her “going into a new country without fully understanding the language was really scary but  what helps is finding a community in the first week that helped me improve my French.” 

4. Uncertainty

In a new country, one is not always sure what they would be met with. Morgan mentioned how nerve racking it was to enter France.

“Entering France was nerve racking but as soon as I met people from the program, I felt more at ease…Toulouse is welcoming and so are the people. 

A good memory for Morgan from Toulouse was realizing how welcoming Toulouse is. During one’s study abroad journey, it is always so relieving to realize your fears about the host country slowly begin to disappear as the days go by. 

There is no one to experience one's first week in a different culture and country. For some, it is a moment of full joy as they experience all these new things for the first. Some students take the first week to get over the fear of speaking of a new language. For others, the first week is a mix of enjoying the new culture but still thinking of home. One thing that has been true for the students I spoke to about their first week studying French in Toulouse, is how valuable the experience was for them. 

Interested in spending a summer abroad with CIEE? Browse our high school summer programs for more information.