A Day in the Life

Learn about a typical day at SYA France, Italy or Spain!

SYA France
SYA Italy
SYA Spain

SYA France

At SYA France , each day is a new adventure filled with unique opportunities for learning, growth and language. Consequently, there is no "average" day. The following provides an example of a day during the academic year for an SYA France high school student.

A Day in the Life at SYA France!

DitL France Wake Up

7:30 am

Wake Up

A view upwards along a row of Fachwerk houses to blue skies in downtown Rennes.

Get ready for your day in Rennes, France!

DitL France Have Breakfast

8:00 am

Have Breakfast

Breakfast spread with coffee, crepe, and a copy of Oest France newspaper.

Enjoy a traditional French breakfast with your host family.

DitL France Go to High School

8:15 am

Go to High School

Three SYA high school students walking along gravel path in Parc du Thabor.

SYA students live in, or nearby, Rennes. Students walk, bike or take public transportation to high school. Some students even walk through the 18th century Parc du Thabor on their way!

DitL France French Language

9:00 am

French Language

High school students sit in a circle around a round desk, conversing with each other and professor.

Start off classes with an intensive French Language class and master the language through discussions, presentations, interviews and hands-on fieldwork throughout Rennes.

DitL France Math

9:50 am

Math

SYA high school faculty member writes equations on a white board next to a graph

SYA students can choose from a variety of math courses (taught in English) ranging from Advanced Algebra to AP Calculus BC. These courses combine in-class and online learning activities in a hybrid learning environment, with a focus on developing independent learning skills.

DitL France English

10:40 AM

English

SYA high school students sit reading in an SYA classroom.

While many of your classes are in French, English is taught in English by teachers from American independent schools. Using a variety of texts you will further explore globalism and the abroad experience through literature.

DitL France Lunch

11:25 AM

Lunch

A tray laden with food from the lycee cafeteria.

For lunch, you will further practice your French language skills by eating at a local high school.

DitL France Advisory

12:45 PM

Advisory

A group of high school students sit in an SYA classroom in France. The advisor sits at the front.

In your weekly advisory period, meet with your peers and advisor to support one another through the personal challenges and victories that come with living abroad.

DitL France Free Period

1:35 PM

Free Period

A group of smiling high school SYAers pose in the streets of Rennes.

Walk down cobblestone streets or past the Parlement de Bretagne with your new friends or work on upcoming assignments.

DitL France Political Science and Global Issues

2:25 PM

Political Science and Global Issues

A group of high school students sit around a round table strewn with France Oest newspapers.

Analyze the impact of the media and the role of journalism in contemporary French politics.

DitL France Break

3:10 pm

Break

A group of SYA France high school students take a selfie on the street of Rennes. Each holds a baguette in a white paper bag.

Head to a local bakery with your friends to pick up a snack of French baguettes!

DitL France Environmental Science

3:25 PM

Environmental Science

Three SYA high school students sit at a desk in front of a microscope and an open laptop.

Understand the biodiversity of Brittany firsthand through this fieldwork-based course.

DitL France Art History

4:15 pm

Art History

Two SYA high school students stand in front of an overhead projector image of artwork, presenting to the unseen class.

Prepare for your upcoming class trip to Paris by presenting on various works on display at the Louvre.

DitL France Extracurriculars

5:15 pm

Extra-Curricular Activities

Several SYA France high school students stand smiling while holding trophies after a crew race

Spend your afternoons participating in sports teams, visual and preforming arts, or volunteering.

DitL France Visit a patisserie

6:30 PM

Visit a Patisserie

SYA high school student pointing out a pastry in a patisserie shop window

Stop by your favorite café for a macaron or a Breton galette.

DitL France Head back home

6:45 PM

Head back home

SYA high school students arrayed on a bridge in Rennes

Stop to enjoy the view on your walk back home.

DitL France Dinner

7:00 PM

Dinner

Red ceramic plate with roasted potatoes, beef, and a green salad.

Enjoy delicious French cuisine with your host family!

DitL France After Dinner

After Dinner

SYA high school student and host family sitting at a dinner table cluttered with empty glasses and a bowl of fruit. Host father and a teenager have acoustic guitars out and are strumming. Everyone is smiling.

Complete your homework, relax with your host family and get ready for another day in Rennes, France!

SYA France on YouTube

Host Families

courses at SYA France

extracurriculars

Explore the SYA campus in Rennes!

SYA Italy

There is no "average" day at SYA Italy -- each day provides new adventures and challenges. The following schedule provides a example of a day in the life for an SYA Italy high school student in the academic year.

A Day in the Life at SYA Italy!

DitL Italy Wake up

7:00 AM

Wake Up

Early morning sun illuminates a passthrough in the old town, casting beams of light into the shadows.

Get ready for your day in Viterbo, Italy!

DitL Italy Have breakfast

7:15 am

Have Breakfast

SYA high school student smiling at host sibling. A beaming host mom in the background.

Enjoy a traditional Italian breakfast with your host family.

DitL Italy Head to school

7:30 AM

Head to School

High school student with back to camera and backpack on, walking through cobbled streets.

All SYA students live near the SYA campus and walk, bike or take public transportation to school.

DitL Italy Advisory

8:10 AM

Advisory

SYA faculty member sits with high school students around a table, in discussion.

In your weekly advisory period, meet with your peers and advisor to support one another through the personal challenges and victories that come with living abroad.

DitL Italy Italian Language

9:00 am

Italian Language

High school students sit in semicircle with instructor perched on a desk in the center.

Most students begin their year at SYA Italy as complete beginners of Italian. Through this fast-paced course and conversing with host families, students quickly absorb the local language and some even choose to take the AP Italian Language Exam after their year of intensive language immersion at SYA.

DitL Italy Math Class

9:50 am

Math Class

High school students in the classroom at SYA Italy, hard at work.

DitL Italy Break

10:40 am

Break

Two cappuccinos and two pastries on a round glass table.

Meet your classmates at your favorite café for a cappuccino or cornetto.

DitL Italy Ancient History through Art

11:00 am

Ancient History through Art

Two high school students stand in front of a religious fresco, a coursebook open in one students hand.

Come to fully understand the Greeks, Etruscans and the Romans by reading and analyzing primary sources and archaeological remains.

DitL Italy Experiential Italian

11:50 am

Experiential Italian

SYA Italy high school students and faculty member sit on the steps outside in Viterbo.

SYA students practice their growing language and cultural skills in real-world contexts at school, as well as via experiences within the city and region on fieldwork days.

DitL Italy Lunch

12:40 pm

Lunch

A group of SYA Italy high school students sit at an outdoor table, clinking water glasses with food trays in front of them.

SYA Italy students eat lunch nearby at the mensa, a local dining hall for Italian students.

DitL Italy Local and Global Perspectives

1:40 pm

Local and Global Perspectives

Several SYA Italy high school students abroad interview Afghan refugees.

Interview Afghan refugees and hear their moving personal stories. Later analyze this issue from different perspectives

DitL Italy Applied Agroecology

2:30 pm

Applied Agroecology

SYA high school student with work gloves harvests grapes from a vine.

Walk down the road from school to SYA's urban farm and learn hands-on about growing and producing Italy's world famous foods.

DitL Italy English

3:20 pm

English

High school students sitting in classroom, discussing. One student is speaking, others listening.

At SYA, English is taught by teachers from American independent schools. Using a variety of texts, you will further explore globalism and the abroad experience through literature while building critical and creative writing skills.

DitL Italy Visit a gelateria

4:00 PM

Visit a Gelateria

Two cones of gelato, one with one scoop and one with two.

Stop for a scoop of your favorite gelato with your friends.

DitL Italy Extracurricular Activities

4:30 PM

Extra-Curricular Activities

Spend your afternoons participating in sports teams, visual and preforming arts or Italian cooking classes.

DitL Italy Head back home

6:30 pm

Head back home

A group of high school students pose in front of Palazzo dei Papi in Viterbo.

Stop to enjoy the view on your walk back home with your friends.

DitL Italy Dinner

8:00 pm

Dinner

Bowl of pasta seen from above, linguine, parmesan, olive oil, and tomatoes.

Enjoy a buonissima Italian dinner with your host family!

DitL Italy After dinner

After Dinner

SYA high school student leans her head on host mother's shoulder. She, the host mom, and host relative are smiling.

Complete your homework, relax with your host family and get ready for another day in Viterbo, Italy!

SYA Italy on YouTube

Host Families

courses at SYA ITALY

extracurriculars

Explore the SYA campus in Viterbo!

SYA Spain

SYA Spain gives students the opportunity to explore different avenues for learning, growth and language each day. The following schedule provides an example of a day for an SYA Spain high school student during the academic year.

A Day in the Life at SYA Spain!

DitL Spain Wake up

7:15 am

Wake Up

View from the top of Pilar. Church spires are bathed in early sunlight and shadows.

Get ready for your day in Zaragoza, Spain!

DitL Spain Have breakfast

7:30 am

Have Breakfast

SYA high school student sits at a table smiling with her host sibling.

Enjoy a traditional Spanish breakfast with your host family.

DitL Spain Go to school

8:00 am

Go to School

High school students walk across an open square in ZAZ.

SYA students live in, or nearby, Zaragoza. They walk, bike or take public transportation to school.

DitL Spain Spanish civilization and culture

8:45 am

Spanish Civilization and Culture

High school students explore the Military Museum in ZAZ.

Classes at SYA will engage you with your surroundings. Start the academic day by analyzing the impact of the Napoleonic War in the urban planning of Zaragoza.

DitL Spain Math

9:35 am

Math

DitL Spain Spanish Language

10:25 am

Spanish Language

Two high school students present in the front of a classroom.

In addition to improving Spanish language skills with your host family, you will master Spanish language, grammar and culture through SYA's fast-paced Spanish language course.

DitL Spain Break

11:05 am

Break

Three high school students sit at a round table in a cafe, cups and snacks before them.

Check in with teachers about assignments, grab a coffee, catch up with friends in historic downtown Zaragoza or go to a nearby Spanish market or café to buy some local treats for a merienda!

DitL Spain Advisory

11:30 am

Advisory

A group of high school students with an SYA teacher sit outside in the sunny grass.

In your weekly advisory period, meet with your peers and advisor to support one another through the personal challenges and victories that come with living abroad.

DitL Spain Free period

12:20 pm

Free Period

A group of SYA high school students sit on a flight of stairs outside in downtown ZAZ.

Complete your homework, meet with teachers or hang out with your friends in downtown Zaragoza.

DitL Spain Spanish theater

1:10 pm

Spanish Theater

High school students on a stage, hands clasped to take a bow.

Prepare for your upcoming production by preparing the set or rehearsing your lines in Spanish.

DitL Spain Lunch

1:55 pm

Lunch

Tray from the cafeteria, salmon, rice, salad.

SYA Spain students eat lunch at a local high school close to campus - allowing SYA students the chance to try new foods!

DitL Spain Macroeconomics

2:45 pm

Macroeconomics

High school students listening attentively. One high school student in focus, three are blurred.

Understand Spain's history through its economic policies.

DitL Spain English

3:35 pm

English

High school students reading together in an SYA classroom.

While electives are in taught in Spanish, English is taught in English by teachers from American independent schools. Using a variety of texts, you will further explore globalism and the abroad experience through literature.

DitL Spain Extracurriculars

5:00 pm

Extra-Curricular Activities

Group of SYA high schoolers in SYA basketball uniforms

Spend your afternoons participating in sports teams, visual and preforming arts or traditional Spanish activities like flamenco dancing and Spanish cooking classes.

DitL Spain Head back home

6:30 pm

Head back home

A group of SYA high schoolers walk away from the camera along the streets of ZAZ.

Walk, bike or take public transportation back home.

DitL Spain Free Time

7:00 pm

Free Time

Four high school students stand in the stands of a sports arena, wearing sports team colors (red and white).

Complete homework assignments and spend time with friends or your host family. At SYA you will find yourself on all sorts of adventures like learning to cook paella with your host parents or going to a soccer game with your Spanish friends.

DitL Spain Dinner