Allison Bromby, a student majoring in English Studies, participated in the Nantes Study Abroad Program during the 2022/2023 school year.
Major: English Studies
Minor: French and Francophone Studies
Specialization: Teacher Education Stream
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Testimonial
Click on the tabs below to see what she thought of the experience!
- Why did you decide to study abroad?
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I thought that it would be a good opportunity to study my french in a French-speaking country and I felt that it would be just a really fun experience overall.
- What was one of your favourite experiences/memories from your study abroad?
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Being able to travel as much as I did. I was in a different city or country almost every weekend, which gave me the opportunity to meet new people and experience so many different cultures.
- What advice would you give to fellow students or someone considering studying abroad?
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Do it. I gained so much knowledge and experience. It was easily one of the best decisions of my life.
- What life lessons did you learn from your experience; about yourself and the world around you? How have you grown?
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The main life lesson that I learned was how to do things alone. Before, I would never go out unless I had my friends with me, but after having to travel alone, I have so much more confidence in myself. I was even able to eat in a restaurant by myself. This has also allowed me to make more friends overall because it forced me to meet new people and I am such a better person for it.
- What was your experience like? Talk a little bit about your experience studying at your host university, the student life, available resources, time and workload in comparison to Trent, etc.
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I found that the content in class was at a good level, but what made the school experience easier overall was that there was almost never homework or assignments, and when there were some, they did not take too long to complete. I found that there were a lot of resources there as well if I needed help because the class had become so close to the teachers that it was so easy to go to them if I was having issues.
- Were you able to do some travelling? How easy was it for you to travel to nearby countries?
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It was incredibly easy to travel to other countries because France is within the Schengen region. As well, while there were some more expensive trips, travelling there was so much cheaper than in Canada. Train tickets were super cheap and even plane tickets were not that bad most of the time.
- If you went to a country where you did not speak the national language, how challenging was it, was there a language barrier?
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I found that even if I went to a place that did not speak English or French, it was not hard to find others who spoke one of the languages, so I never had an issue.
- In your perspective what are the benefits of studying abroad?
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The experiences you gain are incredibly valuable. I have made friends in so many countries that I still talk to daily. As well, this has greatly benefited my education and work prospects. I have been able to use my time abroad to find a job and I will be able to use the experiences I have gained to help me in my future education endeavors.