Studying in Le Havre is a much different experience than studying in Paris. I chose the Le Havre campus of Sciences Po due to their focus on Europe-Asian relations, a significantly stronger Chinese language program, and also to better improve my French. At the Sciences Po Paris campus, there are over 600 exchange students, over half of whom are American. At the Le Havre campus, there are 3 exchange students, of which I am one, and only 2 Americans, of which I am one. Though Le Havre is a very small, dirty, and, quite frankly, boring city, I do not regret living here over Paris for these reasons, as well as because the other students here are some of the most interesting and genuinely friendly people I've ever met. Furthermore, the classes are smaller, so with Sciences Po's notorious academic rigor comes individual attention from each professor if needed. So many different countries are represented among the student body, and most students like to cook for large parties. Most students live in in the same public housing buildings. Everyone lives alone. Aside from grocery shopping, I rarely have to pay for meals. On the weekends, we usually find ourselves in Paris, as the social scene in Paris is significantly larger and more fun. For the rest of the semester, I will find myself traveling around Europe each weekend visiting friends who are studying abroad elsewhere. Additionally, every student can sign up for a welcome family. My welcome family is extremely nice; they invite me to dinner once a month, and all they ask of me is that I practice speaking English with their children (who are better at speaking English than their parents). The only item I wish I had packed in my luggage was JIF peanut butter. The peanut butter in French grocery stores is just not the same! Other than that, I believe I packed pretty efficiently. This program has made me a more adaptable traveler and a better French speaker. I have also made friends here that I never would have met back in the States. Study abroad forces one to leave his or her comfort zone with the unavoidable result of adventure and personal evolution. I would only recommend this particular exchange program to the academically inclined student, as the workload is quite heavy. However, I recommend study abroad as a general concept to everyone. In fact, it should be required (as it is at Sciences Po).
