My School Abroad: Institute of American Universities

The school in Aix is tiny and scattered among the winding streets. It is made up of four buildings—three of them in the old town and one outside of town. The one outside of town is the art school, so I never go there.

I only have classes in 2 buildings: Manning Hall and CEF. Walking through the narrow streets, you’d never know the building was part of IAU unless you read the tiny name plate.

In the basements of these two buildings, there are small student areas with a few books and tables. In Manning, there is a shelf with games and a foosball table tucked away in an old underground room. This space is called “La Cave.”

But, my favorite room here is the library. It’s on the second floor and includes a spiral staircase and two little rooms that seem like afterthoughts. I spend a lot of my free time between classes here.

The classrooms themselves are what you’d expect. It’s still a school, after all. The best part is when I glance out the window and see the cute streets and signature old street lamps. That’s when I remember I’m in France! (And the fact that my classes are in French…)