Paris A-Broaden Your Horizons

There is one major decision you need to make before or after choosing a university: to direct enroll or to enroll through a program? Like all decisions in life (sigh..), there are advantages and disadvantages on both sides.

Direct Enrollment. The decision to direct enroll should be reserved mostly for those who are quasi-fluent in French and want an intensely independent experience. With direct enroll, you will probably have more freedom to decide which courses to take, where you will take them, and generally what your abroad experience will be like. Because you won’t have a program scheduling activities for you, you’ll also have more liberty in your free time—to travel on the weekends, to participate in extracurricular activities, etc. Socially, it may be more challenging to integrate at first, but it may also be more rewarding in the end: because you’ll be surrounded mostly by French and international students, your experience will likely be more of an immersion. You can actually feel like a part of the university culture, as opposed to a perpetual outsider (which is a risk of being a “program kid” or “one of the Americans”). Of course, a lot is on you to be outgoing and to take initiative, which is especially challenging in a city that’s known for its initially froid exterior.

Study-Abroad Programs. There are almost as many study-abroad programs in Paris as there are crêpe stands—and that’s not an exaggeration. From the university program with classes in English to the independent program that operates solely in French, the range of opportunities is vast. There are a number of things to keep in mind when choosing whether you want to do a program, and if so, which program best suits you:

1) What kind of living situation do you want? Many programs put you in dorms with other American students, which can be comforting but can isolate you from the “real Paris” world around you. Others put you in homestays or independent apartments, and still others let you choose where and how you’d like to live.
2) What kind of study experience do you want? Do you want to study in a French university in French? Would you rather be in a private program with other Americans? This will most likely depend on your language ability, but it also depends on how immersed you want to be in the Parisian academic experience.
3) How do you want to spend your free time? Many programs let you loose to cafe-, museum-, and monument-it-up; join university extracurriculars; or just hang in the Starbucks on the corner (blasphemy!), while others plan a couple “excursions” to plays, concerts, and even towns around Paris. Finally, some programs plan out your every minute. It’s important to figure out how much time your program is planning to take over, so you’re not tearing your hair out while sitting next to Overly-Spunky Susie-from-Sarasota, nor wandering the Paris streets with a blank, confused, and lost look on your face.
4) How much hand-holding do you want? Some programs just get you to Paris and say bon voyage from there. Others set you up with orientation programs to familiarize you with Paris life and times (not that you need it after reading Life and Times). Others never let you out of their sight. Its important to know how the program handles the transition period and how much infrastructure they provide throughout the semester and year. Could you go to them for help with a paper or to find internships or activities in the area? Do they organize events? Is there an alumni network? Sometimes this “hand-holding” seems unnecessary, but it can often be quite helpful and supportive.
5) Finally, How legit is it? Let’s Go suggests you make sure the program exists and that your “director” isn’t about to go into hiding or something equally as unhelpful! Sounds like we’re joking, but true story, my friends.