A Day in the Life

CIEE’s Intensive French Language Summer Program is definitely not short of intensive. Every weekday, we had class, totaling 10 credit hours over the summer.
On an average weekday, I would wake up at 8am and commence my morning routine; wash my face, get dressed, do some light makeup, and pack my school bag. Many mornings, I avoided a tragic death at the paws of the family cat who weaved between my legs as I walked down the stairs. In the kitchen, I would grab a hard-boiled egg and piece of brioche to go. Both of my host parents worked, so I usually did not see them until dinner time. The school was not far from my homestay, making my morning commute, a literal walk in the park [since I would cut through the Parc du Thabor]. On my walk, I saw people on their way to work and school, bikes toting assorted items and sometimes kids.
Once at school, if I had time, I spoke with other students in the courtyard. Class began at 9am and the courses and professors would vary depending on the day. The morning classes consisted of written expression/comprehension, oral expression/comprehension, and language studies (which was grammar and syntax). At 12pm we had lunch and could explore the many options Rennes had for le dejeuner. As the French love their lunch, our break was a leisurely hour and fifteen minutes. My friends and I would frequent the local supermarket Utile, taking advantage of the quick, cheap, and delicious food. When our lunch break ended, a white cat sat would sit in an apartment window above a store, watching us curiously as we sauntered back with full bellies. Our afternoon courses usually focused on group work and cultural immersion in Rennes. Sometimes we would present on what we learned about the culture of both Rennes and France, and other times we’d explore with scavenger hunts and tours. 
After our afternoon class ended around 2:45/3:15pm, we were free to do what we wanted. For a while, I bummed free gym passes off my friend and got some cardio in. Though accessible and relatively clean, I did not use public transport much because I lived close to the city center and I enjoyed walking. Other times, my friends and I would shop, picnic in the park, and/or enjoy the different community events such as Fete de la Musique.
Around 7-8pm I would arrive back at my homestay and complete any homework I had. Then I ate dinner with my host family at 9-10pm. I thought it was funny how my host mom said they usually never eat this late though I don’t think I’ve eaten dinner there earlier than 8:30. One great thing my host mom always did at dinner was ask me to recount my day. Since my host parents couldn’t speak English, I was able to practice my French more frequently and learn how to get over translation errors without a translator.  After dinner, my host mom would often entertain my endless tangents and correct me when needed.
By 12am I was showered and ready for sleep, and ready to start another day in Rennes.