What city did you study abroad in and for how long?
Michael: I studied in Paris, France for six weeks with API (Academic Programs International) at the Université Paris-Sorbonne. My primary reason to study abroad was to continue studying the French language and to experience living in a large city speaking a different language firsthand.
Why did you decide to study with API?
Michael:I decided to study with API because of how conveniently their program worked with my academic schedule. With my major I was not able to study abroad during a regular school semester so my only option was to study during the summer. There were multiple programs offering summer abroad sessions but API had the most convenient times available to study offering two different sessions during the summer months. Even though they were not affiliated with my school I still found the application process to be easy to follow and easy to manage with my education abroad office at my university.
What made this study abroad experience unique and special?
Michael: I have been on study abroad programs before but this one was particularly special for multiple reasons. The first was because the group I was apart of consisted of students from all across the nation. I really enjoyed meeting people from different states and opening up the opportunity to continue traveling in my own country. Another was because the course schedule API offered with the Sorbonne. It was not a traditional course schedule and offered fewer credits because of it, but with the availability of so much free time I was able to explore the city with my peers to try and further immerse ourselves within the culture. Finally, I was able to meet family members who lived in Paris that I had never met before. Being in Paris already was helping me improve my language skills but being able to interact with fully fluent family members really helped me grasp the language on a different level. Plus, I feel more connected to the family who I only learned existed three years previously, which has created memories to last a lifetime.
How has this experience impacted your future?
Michael: The time I spent abroad helped me to better understand the importance of culture and experiencing new things. Engaging more with both of these concepts has helped me mature into gaining a more world-view perspective on life. I hope to one day return to France to pursue a career so knowing that the experience I had abroad made an impact on that decisions means a lot for the direction of my future. Employers are often interested in study abroad programs regardless of the employment you hope to find.