My experience studying abroad was nothing short of eye-opening. To be fully transparent, I didn’t have many goals for my study abroad experience other than to fully immerse myself in the culture of the country I would be traveling to. When I decided that I would be studying abroad in the fall, I spent the summer doing what I could to prepare myself for the next semester by refreshing the few parts of the French language I could understand and speak, and researching the city my program was based in- Montpellier, France. Even before arriving, I had a lot of nerves surrounding my upcoming experience and the academic pressure attached to it. However, by the end of my time abroad, I had developed a “joie de vivre” I didn’t know I could experience.

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The realization that I would be leaving all that I knew to spend a semester in another country hit me hard as I buckled into my nine hour flight from Atlanta to Paris. Coming off of probably the shortest, longest, flight of my life I was immediately surrounded by French culture. Hearing the buzzing French conversations happening around me, mixed with the different signs, restaurants, announcements and gift-shops was my first culture shock of the semester. I spent a week of summer vacation in Paris with my family in 2019, and I remember how fun and refreshing it was to have that experience. Now that my safety net was gone, those feelings were a lot more bittersweet. Nevertheless, I decided to lean into the excitement of being in a new environment and the growth that would come from it.

 

My first week there was dedicated to getting to know the advisors of the program I was a part of. I was very grateful to be a part of a program that truly catered to the experience and transitions of the students, as it allowed us to find community even without independently searching for it. Some of my most memorable experiences during my time in Montpellier involved going on excursions that the staff and student advisors had planned for us throughout the semester such as a beach day dedicated to spending time and mingling with host families, a trip to Aigues-Mortes & Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, Uzès, Avignon, and so many other cities in between! One of my favorite memories was the group trip to Duilhac-sous-Peyrepertuse, France where other students and I could hike the Castle of Peyrepertuse. Before this experience, I had never hiked anything before and seeing the amount of time along with the complexity of finding my way to the top, I knew that I was in for a challenge. After what was almost an hour of hiking, I made my way to the peak of the castle and the view was breathtaking. Even though I was mentally and physically exhausted, on top of knowing how sore I’d be the next day, I was beyond proud of myself. Through the challenges of hiking a mountain when I had never done so before, through the regret halfway through that I somehow convinced myself to do it, to the last couple of steps I took before I made it to the top, I felt like I had physically completed what I had set out to do during my study abroad. No matter the challenge, no matter how uncomfortable, I was going to accomplish my goals and to thrive while doing it.

 

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The second week in Montpellier was the start of the day-to-day routine that would be my life for the next four months. Like many of the individuals in my program, I was a full-time student taking five classes while abroad plus an amazing internship at Le Bookshop (see the next page). After many different conversations with my advisor, we decided that knocking out my French courses would be the best decision considering my overarching goal of language immersion, leading to the decision to take the Advanced Track that my program had to offer. Like I mentioned earlier, the language barrier was one of the main concerns I had about studying abroad, so knowing that all of my classes would be taught in French was a mountain that I didn’t know if I’d be able to climb. Regardless, I knew that no growth would happen inside of my comfort zone so I decided to embrace the unknown. The classes that I took included grammar, writing, southern French history, historic literature, and French work culture. Another cultural element of adjusting to the French way of life, specifically at the collegiate level, was the type of teaching structure as well as the length of lectures. At l’Université Paul-Valéry, the local university my classes were held, courses were held in three hour intervals once a week. Course material was also taught very traditionally or “old-school” with pen and paper, rarely using our laptops unless for research purposes. This was very different from the learning style that I was accustomed to at Clemson, and while it took a while to adjust to not only being taught but also completing assignments this way, I think that it benefited me in a way I hadn’t experienced since elementary school. Being unplugged from my electronic devices, having to write assignments by paper, and constantly engaging with other students within the classroom as well as local students at the campus, allowed my French skills to flourish in and outside of the classroom. Having the opportunity to talk to native French speakers taught me vocabulary that I wouldn’t have learned anywhere else and developed my confidence in speaking as I navigated the city, went to the grocery store, dined in restaurants, and more. Aside from the improvement in my language proficiency, I realized that I had gained confidence in getting through challenging assignments regardless of the subject.

 

Socially, I had very amusing interactions. Sometimes, the locals assumed that I was from Montpellier and would immediately speak to me in French only to realize I was American or I would meet other native English speakers who would automatically speak to me in English because they just “knew”. Speaking English on the tram ride back home with friends was a constant conversation starter for bold Montpelliérains eager to practice their English or curious about where my friends and I were from. Before coming to the south of France, I had the impression that because Montpellier was still a buzzing city, it would have the same feeling as being in Paris five years ago. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that both the southern France and southern United States had a lot more in common than not. It was a slower pace of life where people enjoyed taking their time with everything they did, as well as being very friendly–especially once they realized I was making the effort to speak in French! I was able to find many things I enjoyed doing in my free time such as thrifting, reading new books, exploring different parks, and traveling to neighboring cities thanks to cheap bus tickets. I met so many people from all over the world and being able to communicate through either English, French, or really good charades made me deeply appreciate my opportunity to study abroad.

 

Overall, not only did I improve my language skills but I earned a life-time appreciation for traveling and everything that comes with it. I realize the privilege and courage that it takes to be able to see the world, and having the opportunity to do it while working towards my degree is something that I will forever be grateful for.

 

In the wise words of Saint Augustine: “ The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.”