Maria Matzelle - Trent Study Abroad Program

Maria Matzelle, 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

Minor: English

Specialization: Teacher Education Stream

Testimonial

Click on the tabs below to find out what she thought about the experience!

What was your most memorable experience while in Nantes?: I have so many memorable experiences, but I think just exploring Nantes. Nantes is a beautiful city, and I loved exploring with friends. Especially around Christmas time, the Christmas markets were a lot of fun to visit.
How did having a host family make your time in Nantes more enjoyable?: It was fun to be able to have a connection while living there, and especially to be able to take trips with the host families. It was a great experience to be able to practice our French, and be able to learn about the history and culture of France with our host families during the trips we took with them.
Would you recommend having a host family? Why?: I would recommend having a host family because it gives you the opportunity to be able to practice your French in a sort of informal way. I didn’t feel pressure or embarrassed if I messed up or said a word that isn’t common in France, because my host family would encourage me to speak as much as possible, and explain if some words aren’t often used in France. I felt comfortable speaking to my host family, and they taught me a lot about the history of Nantes.
In what ways did your French improve while abroad?: My French improved a lot while studying in Nantes, because not many people spoke English. But, it was a great way to practice our French while immersed in a fully French-speaking environment. I also would speak with my neighbours on my floor or in the kitchen, and that would also improve my French. It was great to be able to communicate in French to practice the language, because here, not many of my friends or people in general (outside of university) speak French.
What was your favourite place to travel to and why?: My favourite place to travel to was Paris. Paris had always been my dream place to visit, and it was absolutely incredible. I visited twice, and I plan on going back again in the future. It is just so breathtakingly beautiful, and there is so much to see and do. It is also a great place to practice French, but many people do speak English for people who don’t speak as much French.
What’s one piece of advice you would give to future Nantes goers and why?: You will never be in your 20s, living and studying in Nantes with this group of friends, so enjoy it to the fullest.
How did you enjoy school in Nantes compared to Trent? What were some differences?: I loved school in Nantes. I especially loved the classes only on tuesdays and thursdays. We had friday to monday to travel, which was amazing. The professors were amazing. They were so friendly and helpful, and they loved to be involved which is awesome. One of our professors took us to a museum in Nantes, and another professor showed us around Nantes to tell us about the history. They were so easy to communicate with and were very willing to help. I asked a lot of questions and they were very patient and helpful. This is similar to Trent for me, as most of my professors were friendly and helpful, but I had never had a professor take our class to a museum or explore Peterborough. Also, in Nantes, there were roughly 3-4 main presentations/tests/assignments to complete for each course instead of multiple smaller presentations/tests/assignments, and they provided plenty of time to complete these in time. I prefer this format for marks, as it was easier for me to manage these big assignments in the time instead of frequent assignments for smaller percentages of our grades.
How were the residences?: It was my first residence experience, so I had no idea what to expect. But, I liked having my own space and bathroom. We had shared kitchens which weren’t too bad. I liked the area our residence was in, as we had a grocery store just up the street which was convenient. The residence was fairly quiet, and in good condition.
How were the people?: I found the people to be very nice and friendly. Especially at the grocery store. It was fun to attend different events such as the ones held at our university or by our residence to meet new people, or even just meeting the neighbours in the hallway or in the kitchen.
Would you go back to Nantes? Why?: I would go back to Nantes. Nantes will always have a special place in my heart, and it would be fun to go back in the future and see all the places I used to go and shop at the stores again (especially Le Passage Pommeraye!!).