At SYA France, every day is a new adventure filled with unique opportunities for learning, growth and language acquisition. Consequently, there is no "average" day. The following schedule provides an outline for the full lives that high school students live while at SYA France during the majority of the academic year. Schedules vary from student to student and are different during the initial fall cultural orientation, during the final weeks of the capstone project, on extended educational trips and on Fieldwork Thursdays. You can watch a typical day in Rennes for Tracy, FR'22, on our YouTube channel, or keep scrolling to read about a typical class day in the 2022-2023 academic year:
7:30 am
Wake Up
Get ready for your day in Rennes, France!
8:00 am
Have Breakfast
Enjoy a traditional French breakfast with your host family.
8:15 am
Go to High School
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!
9:00 am
French Language
Start off classes with an intensive French Language class and master the language through discussions, presentations, interviews and hands-on fieldwork throughout Rennes.
9:50 am
Math
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.
10:40 am
English
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.
11:25 am
Lunch
For lunch, you will further practice your French language skills by eating at one of two local high schools.
12:45 PM
Advisory
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.
1:35 PM
Free Period
Walk down cobblestone streets or past the Parlement de Bretagne with your new friends or work on upcoming assignments.
2:25 pm
Political Science and Global Issues
Analyze the impact of the media and the role of journalism in contemporary French politics.
3:10 pm
Break
Head to a local bakery with your friends to pick up a snack of French baguettes!
3:25 pm
Environmental Science
Understand the biodiversity of Brittany firsthand through this fieldwork-based course.
4:15 pm
Art History
Prepare for your upcoming class trip to Paris by presenting on various works on display at the Louvre.
5:15 pm
Extra-Curricular Activities
Spend your afternoons participating in sports teams, visual and preforming arts, or volunteering.
6:30 Pm
Visit a Patisserie
Stop by your favorite café for a macaron or a Breton galette.
6:45 Pm
Head back home
Stop to enjoy the view on your walk back home.
7:00 pm
Dinner
Enjoy delicious French cuisine with your host family!
After Dinner
Complete your homework, relax with your host family and get ready for another day in Rennes, France!
For a full list of available courses at SYA France, check out the SYA France Academics Page.
To read more about SYA's hands-on academics, visit our Curriculum Page.