Category: France: IAU College

In order to achieve the American dream, there is a traditional process one must submit to. This typically entails starting work at age 16, finishing higher education and then securing a stable career where you can work 40+ hours a week until you’re at least 65. The concept of the American dream portrays the idea…

Children in France were more involved in society as they were out with their parents very often. For example, many children would accompany their parents when they went grocery shopping or just when they seemed to be walking around town. While this is not very different to many places in America, there are many children…

In my experience, many stores in Aix are closed more often than in the US. Looking at the places I’ve been in America, many stores are open for the convenience of customers. People can expect businesses to be open from at least 9am-5pm. Even during lunchtime, usually, there will still be employees working. Concerning the…

A semester abroad, in a country where you may not speak the language, may seem like a daunting adventure. Sure, it was certainly stressful at times, yet along with outrageous fees, the stress was certainly worth it. Fortunately, I am a French speaker, so the culture shock was not significant to me. Rollins’s faculty will…

As an American student, there were many cultural behaviors, attitudes, and values that I had to adjust to. One of these behaviors that took me a bit to adjust to was the service culture. In France, it is rude for servers to check in on their customers frequently while dining in restaurants. I found myself…

An experience where I felt I had to adjust to an aspect of my host culture (France), was the transparency that French people hold. In the US, sugar-coating is a much more common practice. In Aix-en-Provence, France, I lived in a homestay with a French family and an American suitemate my age who was also…

France is a country known for its beautiful architecture with condensed side roads that date back all the way to the Roman era. It was unknown to me that these beautiful antique constructions made residents have to walk to these areas instead of utilizing cars and public transportation since such methods do not reach the…

One prominent aspect of U.S. culture is individualism. People in the U.S. value individualism in many aspects of daily life. In other words, many people in the U.S. will prefer to do things on their own or judge people by their own actions. People who don’t live in cities may prefer to drive themselves instead…

During my time abroad one of the aspects of French culture I found myself having to adapt to was how long meal times were and how relaxed the service was in restaurants. Compared to the US, it definitely seems like meals are significantly shorter and almost more rushed than they are in France. Furthermore, in…

One of the biggest things that I had to adjust to in my host culture was the walking oriented culture, instead of using vehicles to get around. While public transportation was available to me, I decided to walk, because things were not so far and I also wanted to have a daily exercise routine. In…