France: Pau - French Language and European Studies

I loved being in France. I met many people that I still am in contact with. I loved getting to experience the culture, travel around the country, and learn the language. I went to Pau to study Forestry in France. The excursions to nearby areas were always very enjoyable. We tried amazing food, saw awe-inspiring sights, and met people I don't think I could have met anywhere else. The local sights, sounds, and senses left me with a deep feeling of desire to experience them again. After the program, I had the opportunity to do some solo exploring through France and Ireland.

I have known I wanted to study abroad since the moment I started searching for colleges. French had become a very integral part of my life, and I knew that at some point to get better I would have to study abroad and immerse myself in French life and culture. And I am so glad I decided to do that with the program in Pau, France. Pau is not a huge city, but I find that to be an advantage. The downtown isn't always crowded and you can really feel like you are a part of the culture rather than just a tourist passing through. One of my favorite experiences so far has been attending Carnaval, a celebration of Béarnais culture that I truly got to participate in. The program staff has been absolutely wonderful, and attending classes at the university has become a habit that I will miss. I feel like I am getting the most out of my time abroad and that is a fabulous feeling.

I am so glad I found USAC when I did. Their summer session in Pau felt tailor-made to everything I wanted in a study abroad experience. Most aspects of the program were up to the individual (housing, length of study, excursions, classes, etc) which makes me confident that there is an option for everybody. I was able to customize my experience to what suited me best, while maintaining the structure and organization provided by the USAC staff. This program was the perfect combination of learning, exploring, and having fun, and I can't recommend it enough!

My summer spent in Pau was truly unforgettable! I made amazing friends, got to practice my French, immersed myself in French culture, and spent the afternoons strolling down boulevards with spectacular views of the castle. We explored the region in many of my classes, and Pau offered easy access to transportation to set out on adventures of our own. It has all the charm of a small town, while still offering plenty of larger city amenities. There's lots of fun dining options, theaters, parks, museums, and shops, as well as gorgeous views of the Pyrenees Mountains. Studying abroad certainly calls for its fair share of going out of your comfort zone, but my professors, the administrators, and my friends were a great support system along the way. Despite some culture differences, Pau felt safe to be out and about, even at night. I’m so excited to bring my friends and family back to Pau one day!

I absolutely adored my time abroad with USAC! I studied abroad in Fall 2022 in Pau, France where I took French language classes to improve my French. I embraced a new passion for the French language through the devotion of my international classmates and French teachers. In addition, I immersed myself in the French culture by taking various opportunities offered by the program to interact with the community. I excelled in meeting new people, learning new ideas, and seeing new cultures. My experience abroad has made me confident enough to move to France permanently!

You know that pull to grow. It's uncomfortable and scary and exhilarating. You start to feel it as soon as the thought comes into your head-- what if I said yes? Yes to attending an event where you don't know anyone well. Yes to applying for a job that you really want. Yes to jumping off a bridge into water. Yes to ANYTHING where you risk to fall or fail. I applied to many USAC programs before France. It was during the pandemic, so I fell and failed every time. A year passed and I was about to give up on my dream of studying abroad. But then I looked at the France program and I felt a pull. I had studied Spanish, not French. And now I was about to graduate. It didn't make any sense. But what if I tried one more time... When I received the admission notification, I said yes.

Two semesters as part of this program changed me more than the past four years of university ever had. There is no equivalent in terms of cultural, social, emotional, and intellectual growth to being plunged into a foreign country. You simply have no choice but to grow into the enormous space that has opened up around you full of new sights and sounds and smells that you never could have imagined. There is nothing familiar around you to make you feel safe. But there is also nothing familiar around you to tell you who you are or what you are capable of. This is the potential of freedom. You can be who you have always been scared to be because there are no longer any limits. You can say yes to everything. Yes to speaking a language you're not fluent in. Yes to activities and course subjects you never would have tried before. Yes to field trips to cities you've never heard of. Yes to starting conversations, yes to being confident in the face of the fear.

Of course this is not to say that you really are alone. The Pau, France program is impressively supportive. The on-site staff are kind and deeply invested in the personal development of each student who comes. You will never feel unsafe or unsure of what to do next. But the experience is yours, and whether you want to focus on the culture and language of france, the bonds of new and profound friendships with interesting people from all backgrounds, or your own growth as a competent and open-minded traveler and observer of the world, you will walk away from this program with all three. The world is waiting. Oh, and don't forget to bring good walking shoes.

The onboarding process was so fatiguing and draining that by the end I was not optimistic for my abroad experience, but it was SO worth it!! I loved my host family and they made me feel so welcomed in France, Pau, and their home! I made a lot of really close friends that I miss so much and text or call every day. I loved how the uni classes were structured (and the coffee vending machine in the fac). I volunteered at a French high school, took a rock climbing class, went on a ski day trip with the uni, and made a podcast for the campus radio! Not to mention Pau's proximity to the mountains, the ocean, Spain, Basque country, Toulouse, and Bordeaux. And my heart. I still miss the rock lizards, the tulips, and the daily view of the Pyrenees.

Last semester, in the fall of 2022, I had the amazing experience of studying abroad in Pau, France. I studied the French language as well as the history of art. All of my classes were conducted solely in French. My class contained students from all around the world and our common language was not English, but French. Being fully immersed in the French language and culture excelled my language skills and I now feel confident living in the country and speaking the language. In addition to my studies, I had the opportunity to visit countries I had not visited before. For example, my study abroad program arranged a trip to San Sebastian, Spain for the students. During our fall break, a few students and I organized a trip to Brussels and Amsterdam. Being able to travel around Europe while studying French as well as art history was a dream come true. I lived with an amazing host family that took me in as if I was truly a part of their family. This made the culture shock much easier to handle and gave me a sense of safety while living in a foreign country. Overall, this study abroad experience positively changed my life and has equipped me with skills I would not have acquired anywhere else.