Alumni Spotlight: Alvin Duong

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Alvin's always saving up for the next big adventure, whether it's traveling to a country he's never been or exploring the parts unknown that Washington has to offer.

Why did you choose this program?

CIEE's website looked very organized from the start and they were ready to help with any questions you have. They maintained communication throughout the process and didn't hesitate to approach the student first whenever they're confused.

It's also been a dream to go to Paris and earn college credits at the same time and CIEE Paris' Open Campus was the best choice for me.

What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

CIEE had a pre-departure webinar to help give people the run-down of Paris, how it's organized, what to expect and what to look out for, where to go to eat, and the hip spots.

My study abroad advisor back at my home campus and the peer study abroad advisors were absolutely wonderful in the pre-departure and post-departure experience. They helped me look at scholarships, what programs fit me, and remained in contact despite the 9 hour time difference we had. I didn't have to organize much on my own. I just needed to put the effort into studying abroad.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

Even though you're there for what can be several months, don't put off the places you're going to visit. Before you know it, you'll be at the airport going back home.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

If you're taking a French language course, expect to wake up earlier than the other students since that's when they're offered. If you're not planning on learning French, you can sleep in or wake up early to explore your neighborhood, and have class in the afternoon to early evening.

There are a lot of activities CIEE staff suggests and Paris offers a lot of events to keep people engaged with the city. You can be doing art walks in the 19th arrondissement to trying the best baguette of 2016.

A lot of the classes also want to immerse you in the city so they try their best to incorporate what Paris has to offer and relate it to whatever class you take. If you really want to kill two birds with one stone, take Paris Collage as Linnéa would take her class to all the important architecture Paris (and sometimes outer Paris) has to offer.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

My biggest fear was finding independence. Back at home, I never lived off-campus or at a dorm; I was always with my family. I've taken trips away from home before, but I was always with someone I knew. This time, I was going across the world by myself with no one I expected to personally know to be waiting for me on the other side.

I made several friends during orientation and the first day of class as any student would. However, it was hard to keep in contact with them since most of the students lived in dorms/student housing across the city while I was at a home stay. I felt alone even though I had a roommate who was also from CIEE, but we didn't have the same schedule. The only time we saw each other was mostly for dinner.

As an introvert, it was difficult, but I took the initiative and got proactive with planning things to do with the other students after classes were over. Because of that, I made a lot of lasting memories and friends abroad. I tell people to just go for it. People going abroad aren't there just to study or experience the city alone. They're there to also make friends and connect with people from around the states. Who knows? Maybe you'll also spend Valentine's Day on the top of the Eiffel Tower.

Any last advice for future CIEE Paris participants?

Don't come into Paris afraid of trying something new whether it's facing your fears of the dead by going into the Catacombs or trying out escargot.

Paris has a lot of food and activities and you'll get the most out of it by going in with an open heart and stomach. Also, keep an eye out for celebrities because George Clooney and Scarlett Johansson were in Paris while I was there.

My host mom ran into George Clooney on her way to a cooking class while Scarlett Johansson was having a movie premiere just down the street from campus!