France: Pau - French Language and European Studies

I had the wonderful experience of studying in Pau, France. This city may be small but it is full of many things to do and see! From the Boulevard de Pyrenees, white water rafting, the Tour de France tribute, city center which holds many concerts, festivals, markets, and more, along with being perfectly situated right next to Spain and many popular tourist areas in the south of France! I can proudly say my French has improved greatly since I first arrived on campus, but I do have to admit that the campus is very old and is very behind technology wise. Although the city of Pau is quite beautiful with its palm trees and stone walkways, the campus is full of weeds and the buildings are old and don't even have air conditioning or fans (which I learned is the case in most buildings and homes in France!). Also, I was put under the impression that no one in Pau speaks English, which is far from the truth. Almost every single person I talked to knew at least a few words in English and could get by with it if you were confused. On another note, I am an avid hiker and was also told that Pau is very close to the Pyrenees. Although Pau may be an hour's drive from the nearest point of the Mountains, this is only by car. Only being able to use public transportation, it is pretty much impossible to get to the mountains by yourself. I am happy to say that the university offers a hiking course that I was able to sign up for that drove students to the mountains for about a 15 euro fee. At the end of the day, Pau is a great place to spend your time studying abroad and being put into a French atmosphere with friendly people!

Pau is a wonderful little city—it’s not a rural village or a big city, but a great middle ground of the two. It’s a great place to study as the academics are intense but fun, and it’s also a central area from which you can travel to multiple areas: for example, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Biarritz, St Jean de Luz, Lourdes, the Pyrenees and multiple cities in Spain are all within three hours of Pau. The Pyrenees offer incredible views and beautiful areas which are all accessible in Pau. For travel, however, you have to really figure out the public transportation system. It is fairly cheap, but because it is run by the government, it can be subject to strikes or delays with no notice; however, overall it was still an effective way to get around. Pau itself is a quiet city, so I wouldn’t recommend it if you want to go clubbing every night. But if you want to learn the French language, make great friends, explore the world or just live abroad for a semester, I would definitely recommend Pau.

I went on a study abroad to Pau, France and it changed my life. I met and studied with people of all ages and all nationalities and got to learn about each of their cultures. I lived with a hist family with whom I developed a great respect and love for the French lifestyle - we did everything together from travelling to cooking to going on casual picnics and strolls in the park - my favorite memory. I got to travel and see the world and experience all types of cultures and people. After the program, I desperately want to go back and make a career for myself in France one day. I’d advise future abroad students to never be afraid to speak! Use your language skills at the market, the restaurant, etc!

I had no idea what to expect going into this trip, which is the reason I’m writing this review. First of all, Pau is an adorable town that has a cute town center and public transportation running through every corner of the city, so I wouldn’t worry about that. The program heads will literally walk everyone to the station where you buy bus passes if you need them. My husband and I lived ~15 minutes away from campus and we walked everyday and were fine! We went for the Fall semester, and the weather was absolutely perfect the entire time. It rains a little, but we loved that. Also, if you go during the summer, be aware that almost no places have air conditioning! Only the movie theater will provide you with come cool air, and movie tickets are really cheap. This program is excellent at taking you on excursions and showing you important French places and history. Go on EVERY excursion and free tour that you can! Even if it’s in French and you’re not that confident! Be ready to make friends because you will attend each excursion with the same people. However, while these people are from all over the United States (and probably have differing cultures), it’s a little easy to only hang out with other Americans and not branch out (as far as social life goes). And that’s not really the point of studying abroad, so socialize with French people and other foreigners! They’re all very nice. That brings me to my favorite aspect of this program, which is the fact that everyone takes a Language Placement test at the beginning of the semester and is matched up with all other foreigners in that school at the same level (except for European students from Erasmus). In my class, there were people from Russia, Japan, Austrailia, Iraq, Brazil, Ghana, and more! We saw each other everyday and we created intense bonds. This was my favorite part of the whole experience, I will never forget those relationships. That said, I do wish I would’ve socialized with more French kids my age, but they already seem to have their own friends at school so they’re harder to approach—Be brave! The teachers are incredibly nice and the classes are VERY manageable. It’s very easy to get straight A’s, (if you do the homework), so don’t worry about that. Don’t worry if you can’t understand your teacher on the first day, you’ll be able to understand every word s/he says by the end of the semester. Almost all host family experiences I heard of were positive, but every single story about living in the dorms was also positive. Other foreigners live in the dorms and that can create even more friend opportunities. Plan a few trips before hand, but you don’t have to book every single thing because plans will change and maybe you’ll want to follow a friend group going to a specific place on the weekend. Try to travel every weekend!! See as much as you can. Consult RyanAir and Flixbus for everything!! Also the trains are very nice and stop through Pau. Learning French will happen if you just try to communicate. Yes, it will be hard and awkward, but once you do it you will gain confidence. Last tip: Get excited to study abroad!! This will give you memories to last a lifetime.

USAC Pau was an incredible experience. I had the oppoturnity to study abroad twice once with Kent State University in Florence, Italy and with USAC in Pau, France. I felt that I had a better experience in Florence because of the housing location in the center of Florence. The only downside to USAC Pau is that the dorms are located farther from the city center. Public transit is a great option but not necessarily reliable as the French workers often strike leaving the busses not in operation. The staff is wonderful and the location is fantastic. If you are able to travel on the weekends, you have many options! Bordeaux, Bayonne, Biarritz, Lourdes, Barcelona, Toulouse, Lyons, Paris you name it!! The food is wonderful as well! Try foie gras (a local speciality) and the local wine Jurançon. Excellent trip and would absolutely recommend!

The town of Pau is a quaint yet modern. The French streets and centre-ville are quintessentially French and this town turned out to be the perfect place to study abroad. It is easy to travel in the surrounding area to make for a weekend adventure but having Pau as a home base facilitates being in school throughout the week and being successful in class, including consistent attendance. My program through USAC as well as a course I was taking, accommodated dates and times as well as activities and guides for weekend visits to other towns and regions. Personally, my whole undergraduate career was leading up to my study abroad experience, and I was thinking ahead of time what it would be like once I returned home and how I could use the experience abroad to affect my life after I returned home, in work and school and my general outlook on life. Study abroad affected all of these aspects in a positive way.
Something important that I didn't anticipate was that my immune system would be affected and I would get sick while I was abroad. This happened twice where I had to go to a physician but I was able to use the University medical services and the people there were very helpful and understanding and the services as well as medicine were not nearly as expensive as they would have been back home. That was a pleasant surprise, but these services were also covered through the study abroad insurance. I also found that I needed to commute to school, while it is not easy to choose where a future host family lives, it might be useful to mention that proximity to campus is a key factor in your housing preferences. Getting lost is just something that happens and will happen often, if you are someone who has a great sense of direction I would offer your services or assert yourself amongst friends and classmates! International phone plan is also absolutely necessary, especially being able to use internet without wifi (which will happen often because there is not nearly as much free wifi in France as there is in the U.S.). If you have arranged for a host family, make this a priority, this is THE best way to improve your french outside of class, and only a couple hundred dollars more than the dorms (but includes more meals in a family setting, laundry and in most cases wifi at home, a kitchen, etc.). Also know that arrangements for housing aren't all clearly laid out ahead of time, each family is particular and will generally offer more than they are expected because I found that most French families are generous. The program will make every effort to match your specific and ideal requests with the right family and do not hesitate to ask for exactly what you would like in a home stay experience.

Last year, I packed my bags in the middle of July and headed across the globe for five months to explore continental Europe and improve my French. I can whole-heartedly say that living in Pau was one of my favorite, most cherished times of my life, and here's why:

1. I lived with a French family who welcomed me into their home and city with unparalleled hospitality. I had two host sisters who would invite me to go get dinner or coffee, watch movies, or take walks around the neighborhood, and my host parents would teach me to cook traditional French recipes and help me with my language homework. Dinners with my host family were accompanied by hours and hours of French conversation. I learned so much about French culture through these dialogues (not to mention vocabulary!).

2. My French professors were incredibly helpful. Spending hours in a classroom reading, writing, and speaking French can get tiresome, but my professors were passionate about helping us improve. We often discussed French culture versus our home countries, and since my classmates were from all over the world (Angola, Columbia, South Korea, China, etc.), I learned so much about so many different cultures. I made amazing friendships with both French and international students, and it was helpful to practice my French with peers while learning about them and their home countries in the process.

3. Pau is a city unlike any other. Nestled near the Pyrénées mountain along the western coast of France, it takes less than two hours to reach either the mountains or the beach. Pau has a small-town vibe, but if you look for a night-life, you can find it. The centre-ville is quaint and filled with rich history, but it is also a technologically-advanced city, not to mention absolutely beautiful. There are always events taking place, plus tons of restaurants and shops. Anything you're looking for, you can find it in Pau!

I always knew I wanted to study in France, but was unsure how to choose the city. What I wanted most was an authentic French experience with an opportunity to speak French 24/7. Pau went above and beyond my expectations. By the end of the semester, I was able to have complete conversations with total strangers in French; my playlists were filled with French music that I had picked up from the radio, my host sisters, and other friends; I could walk all around the city without a map and know exactly where I was. Pau is the perfect town for a study abroad experience, and USAC's connections with host families and the university were second to none.

As for myself, Pau truly became a home away from home and I cannot wait to visit again.

This program represented many firsts for me. It was my first time studying abroad, my first time visiting France, and the first time I’ve stayed with a host family.

The two greatest benefits of the program are the fact that Your French skills will definitely improve and that you will meet wonderful people from many different backgrounds. This USAC program is special in that regard because the students you find in your classes are not just your fellow Americans, they come from other international backgrounds. Incidentally, I was the only USAC student in my french classes.

I must also use this space to give a shout out to the Pau Staff. I couldn’t have succeeded in the program without their continuous support.

If you’d like to take advantage of a genuine international experience in a quaint french town with a lot to offer then this program is for you. If you’re serious about becoming a francophone then don’t hesitate. You won’t regret it!