As I write this post, a new term is about to begin at my home university, Georgia State University. It's hard to believe, but my study abroad experience at Sciences Po-Lille has come to an end. The last few weeks in Lille were a flurry of activity - an intense two-week class, submitting final essays for three classes, and attending the several weekly lectures. During the last weeks I also had extended family come to visit, and I played tour guide throughout northern France and Belgium. As enjoyable as that was (and anyone who knows me understands how much I LOVE to travel with family), it was still exhausting. I came home to Atlanta three days before Christmas and had to jump into holiday celebrations with a profound case of jet lag. (Going west always bothers me more than going east.) It has taken me three weeks of being home to begin to process the experience of studying in France. I thought it might be fitting to summarize my main take-aways from the experience, using a list format. These are in random order, but include what I learned while being in France during fall 2016.
1. France is a beautiful country, full of beautiful cities, and beautiful people. I mean it. The countryside is picturesque. The architecture in the cities is much older than in the U.S., and it's well preserved. The people dress to reflect their sophisticated culture.
2. The French know how to prepare food, present food, and enjoy it. Food is a social experience to the French. They set aside time to go to the market and are selective about the quality of what they eat. When a meal is prepared, it is served well, and they expect to spend time at the table. However, while the food is excellent quality, they treasure the socialization around the meal more than the food. I like this - and wish we did more of this in America!
3. University students in France are expected to learn a lot, but it's presented much differently to that in the U.S. or U.K. (where I have also studied). The schedule is more erratic, and less predictable - you have to be organized to stay on top of it. French university administration also prioritize learning about the culture of the country almost as much as they do the substantive content of the university courses. Time is set aside for museums, concerts, trips, and food events, alongside lectures and conferences.
4. The French really appreciate when you speak to them in the French language. Most everywhere I went people understood a bit of English. But this is their country and their language and it behooves me as a foreign student and tourist to respect that. I tried to speak French in restaurants, shops, and grocery markets as much as possible. When I didn't know the phrase I needed to use, or if the person to whom I was speaking did not understand English, I was saved multiple times by having a good translation app on my phone. Get a data plan that works in France or get a cheap phone when you get there.
5. Northern France is a great location for traveling across Europe. Lille is close to the Paris and Brussels airports, and is on the Eurostar line to London, Amsterdam, and Brussels. If you study in Lille - SET ASIDE BUDGET MONEY FOR TRAVELING. All the university students travel on weekends, or during the week-long semester breaks. Plan early, reserve your bus/train/plane tickets, and go see some amazing places.
6. Be prepared to wait more - for apartment management to respond to service calls, for packages to arrive, for emails to be answered, and for you to get your grades when you return home. Turn around time is longer than in the U.S. Plan for it.
7. Shop ahead on Saturday, because the markets are closed on Sunday and MANY state holidays. Unlike the U.S., where groceries can be bought on national holidays, although with reduced service hours, French grocery markets and retail shops (at least in Lille), close completely upon such occasions. They value their time off from work and use it liberally. See item #2 again.
8. Public spaces are managed differently. In Lille, pet owners did not clean up behind their dogs. Smokers are allowed to smoke in public spaces and leave cigarette butts behind everywhere. In other words, watch where you walk on the sidewalks and take off your shoes in someone's home if you see they do likewise.
9. Be prepared to make some new friends - from France and from other European cities. Because all of my classes were those offered to international and Erasmus students, I spent a lot of time with the same people. I came away with new friends from France, Sweden, Estonia, Slovakia, China, and Canada (just to name a few countries). We took classes together, toured museums together, threw birthday parties for each other, traveled on buses, trains, and Bla-bla cars together, etc. I plan on visiting these new friends when I return to Europe and they now have an open invitation to visit me in Atlanta. See item #5 again.
10. You will be changed, and for the better. Living amongst the French in France has taught me to appreciate many things I took for granted before. Time with friends and family, good food, good wine (especially when it only cost 4 euros a bottle!), the contribution by French philosophers, seeing beautiful art, walking in a park, and such.
2. The French know how to prepare food, present food, and enjoy it. Food is a social experience to the French. They set aside time to go to the market and are selective about the quality of what they eat. When a meal is prepared, it is served well, and they expect to spend time at the table. However, while the food is excellent quality, they treasure the socialization around the meal more than the food. I like this - and wish we did more of this in America!
3. University students in France are expected to learn a lot, but it's presented much differently to that in the U.S. or U.K. (where I have also studied). The schedule is more erratic, and less predictable - you have to be organized to stay on top of it. French university administration also prioritize learning about the culture of the country almost as much as they do the substantive content of the university courses. Time is set aside for museums, concerts, trips, and food events, alongside lectures and conferences.
4. The French really appreciate when you speak to them in the French language. Most everywhere I went people understood a bit of English. But this is their country and their language and it behooves me as a foreign student and tourist to respect that. I tried to speak French in restaurants, shops, and grocery markets as much as possible. When I didn't know the phrase I needed to use, or if the person to whom I was speaking did not understand English, I was saved multiple times by having a good translation app on my phone. Get a data plan that works in France or get a cheap phone when you get there.
5. Northern France is a great location for traveling across Europe. Lille is close to the Paris and Brussels airports, and is on the Eurostar line to London, Amsterdam, and Brussels. If you study in Lille - SET ASIDE BUDGET MONEY FOR TRAVELING. All the university students travel on weekends, or during the week-long semester breaks. Plan early, reserve your bus/train/plane tickets, and go see some amazing places.
6. Be prepared to wait more - for apartment management to respond to service calls, for packages to arrive, for emails to be answered, and for you to get your grades when you return home. Turn around time is longer than in the U.S. Plan for it.
7. Shop ahead on Saturday, because the markets are closed on Sunday and MANY state holidays. Unlike the U.S., where groceries can be bought on national holidays, although with reduced service hours, French grocery markets and retail shops (at least in Lille), close completely upon such occasions. They value their time off from work and use it liberally. See item #2 again.
8. Public spaces are managed differently. In Lille, pet owners did not clean up behind their dogs. Smokers are allowed to smoke in public spaces and leave cigarette butts behind everywhere. In other words, watch where you walk on the sidewalks and take off your shoes in someone's home if you see they do likewise.
9. Be prepared to make some new friends - from France and from other European cities. Because all of my classes were those offered to international and Erasmus students, I spent a lot of time with the same people. I came away with new friends from France, Sweden, Estonia, Slovakia, China, and Canada (just to name a few countries). We took classes together, toured museums together, threw birthday parties for each other, traveled on buses, trains, and Bla-bla cars together, etc. I plan on visiting these new friends when I return to Europe and they now have an open invitation to visit me in Atlanta. See item #5 again.
10. You will be changed, and for the better. Living amongst the French in France has taught me to appreciate many things I took for granted before. Time with friends and family, good food, good wine (especially when it only cost 4 euros a bottle!), the contribution by French philosophers, seeing beautiful art, walking in a park, and such.
I highly recommend studying abroad, and France is a wonderful country in which to do it. I already miss the French way of life and know that I would love the opportunity to visit the country again. Thanks Lille, Sciences Po-Lille, and France, for allowing me to live with you, even if for a little while. I know I'm the better for it.
Below I've posted a few more of the photos taken during my last week in Europe. These were taken in Brussels, Paris, and Versailles.
Below I've posted a few more of the photos taken during my last week in Europe. These were taken in Brussels, Paris, and Versailles.