Spending a year abroad has to be the most rewarding experience of my life. In all honesty, I really wasn’t looking forward to spending a year away from Sheffield; a lot of my friends don’t study languages, therefore weren’t going on a year abroad, and it was bothering me knowing that very few of them would still be in Sheffield when I returned. However, I tried to approach the experience with an open mind and once I got there, I was so glad I had gone and didn’t feel like I was missing out by not being in Sheffield. In fact, I remember thinking my friends had missed out by not doing a year abroad! The ability to spread the year across two countries was an incredible opportunity and I was able to get a really good sense of the cultures in both France and Spain.
I chose to study for the entirety of the year, having decided I was already pretty far out of my comfort zone simply by moving abroad alone - I didn’t want to put too much pressure on myself by having to find a job. I’m definitely glad that I chose to do this, since I met so many amazing people through university. I spent the first semester studying in Seville, which is a beautiful city.
During my time in Seville, I was lucky enough to be able to travel to places such as Morocco, Portugal, and various cities across the south of Spain and I made so many unforgettable memories. However, the time I spent studying in Aix-en-Provence was without a doubt my favourite part of my year abroad.
University life in Aix was not hugely different than in the UK, especially in comparison with Seville. There were plenty of students from the UK and Ireland studying there, as well as three others from Sheffield, so it was easy to settle in and make friends. This is not to say that I spoke English the whole time, I had the opportunity to meet plenty of French speakers, but it was definitely comforting to spend some time speaking your own language! The university structure was quite similar to what we were used to, but unlike at home, all of our lectures were in one building, which made things a lot easier. We could choose from a very wide range of modules, which I really enjoyed, since I was able to learn about things that I had never studied before. An added bonus was the accommodation. I stayed in the French equivalent of university halls and although the flats weren’t quite as nice as they are back home, their affordability (they only cost around 200 euros a month) and the view from my room more than made up for it! Furthermore, most people stayed in the same accommodation, so it was easy to meet all sorts of people.
Aix itself is probably one of the prettiest cities I have ever visited. The minute you arrive it is easy to see why it has been home to so many artists! There was so much to see in Aix that we spent our first few weekends wandering around the city. We’d usually walk round for a couple of hours and then stop for a coffee in one of the squares, which was absolutely one of my favourite things to do. This was an easy way to soak up the French culture, chatting in French to waiters and passers-by and even just watching the locals go about their daily routines. The UK doesn’t have the same café culture that France does, which is why I think we found it particularly interesting. There is a lovely spot just up the hill from the town centre, the Terrain des Peintres, which is a pretty garden with a view of Mont Sainte-Victoire and where several artists, including Cézanne, used to paint from.
Cézanne’s influence is evident all over the city and one of my favourite memories of the city is a visit to Cézanne’s Atelier. Not only was it a captivating place, but the staff were so friendly and approachable, which was not what people had told me about French people! These experiences pretty much sum up Aix; everywhere you visit is captivating and you can easily understand why the city and the surrounding area is known for having attracted artists and creatives from all over the world.
Another thing about my time in France that I appreciated a lot were the places we were able to visit. Unfortunately, the semester was cut short because of the pandemic, so I had to return home halfway through March, therefore we were unable to visit all the places on our ‘France bucket list’. However, I managed to go on a few weekend trips in the couple of months that I was there, including to Montpellier, Marseille, Nice and Monaco, as well as a few days in Vienna! I hadn’t really travelled much in the South of France before, so I was extremely grateful to be able to visit these cities, even if I couldn’t get to everywhere that I wanted to go. The South of France is undeniably one of the prettiest places in Europe and since there is such variety across the region, no two places are the same. I absolutely fell in love with Provence and I am planning to go back and see more of the area as soon as I can!
I was so disappointed when I had to return home from France early, but looking back, I can only be grateful that I got the chance to spend that time there. Many people tell you before you go abroad that it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and, whilst this is definitely true, it becomes easy to build up unrealistic expectations and then be let down by difficulties such as language barriers and not knowing anyone. However, when I think back on my time in Aix, it is amazing how quickly these things became completely irrelevant to me. It only took me one walk around the city to know I was going to love it and even after only two months, I knew that I had made friends for life. But the thing I am most grateful for is the fact that I am no longer scared to venture outside my comfort zone. Living abroad enables you to experience a completely different culture, language and way of life, an opportunity which cannot be replicated under other circumstances. I left for my year abroad reluctantly, which, in retrospect, is ironic, since that is exactly the same way I returned home.
