Why did you choose this program?
I chose this program because it had all the elements I was looking for in a study abroad experience. Living in an apartment and not in student housing was a major factor for me, as I wanted to experience life as a Parisian and not a student!
The academics allowed me to integrate into a French University where I could take classes with a mix of people from all over the world.
The primary reason I chose this program was because of the amount of independence it allowed me. I felt completely self-sufficient and independent during my time in Paris, which is just what I wanted.
What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?
They helped me with administrative aspects of the pre-departure process. All of the paperwork, obtaining a Visa, planning my classes, and my housing arrangements were all handled by CISabroad. They were great at setting up the foundation for my semester abroad, and were always there to answer any questions I had.
What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?
My biggest piece of advice is to get out there and explore! Don't feel like you always need to take a buddy to go experience new things.
Take a day to yourself and go to a new museum, or go sit at a cafe and read a book.
Some of my favorite memories from my time abroad are ones where I was experiencing things on my own.
What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?
My average week was pretty great! Monday through Thursday I had classes. Each class is a three-hour period but only meets once a week. Some days I only had one class, but others I had two. Each morning I would take the metro to school, which was about a 20 minute commute.
Some days I would grab a quick croissant for breakfast on my way to class. I typically had enough time between classes to go back to my apartment for lunch. The best thing about the schedule was not having classes on Friday. That made it easy to maximize my weekends with lots of exploring and occasionally traveling to new places!
Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it and/or how did your views on the issue change?
To be honest, study abroad had been a dream of mine for so long that I had barely any apprehension about going. I was ready to fully immerse myself into the culture and to experience a new adventure! My only concern was that the housing wasn't going to be ideal, but it turned out to be amazing!
What was your favorite routine thing do to?
I loved getting in the habit of grabbing coffee at a classic Parisian cafe. My favorite cafe in Paris, Cafe de Flore, is where I spent many mornings drinking a "cafe creme" and reading a good book from Shakespeare and Co. It was a great place to people watch and to feel like a real Parisian!