I don’t know that much about the program yet, because she has just finished applying. It’s Wellesley-in-Aix, a well-established, well-regarded program that I didn’t feel the need to investigate before letting her apply. I’ve read the website, of course, but don’t have the gritty details yet. Her classes will be at Aix-Marseilles University and she has the option of living in a dorm or staying with a family. The family stay wouldn’t be for the whole year, which is unfortunate, because that is what makes these study abroad programs so fantastic.But there are some top medieval scholars at AMU, and since that is her field, she really wants to go. She was choosing her courses for this program in her mind as soon as she decided to attend Wellesley.
I don’t know if she will know anyone on the program the year she goes, but I don’t think that matters to her. She’s very good at plunging into things that interest her. Really, her “crazy” is all about her intense perfectionism and the occasional existential crisis. I do wonder if she might be just fine without therapy for a while. There’s a part of me that thinks she just needs to go a little wild, drink some good French wine, eat fabulous food, make a few Bs or even Cs and step outside of herself for a little while. There will be pressure on her, but it will be different from the familiar academic pressure she has known her whole life.