The scariest part of my study abroad experience was the unknown. Although I had ideas about what living in Amiens, France, would be like, I never knew with certainty what would happen or what to expect. But now, finishing up my semester and nearly six months of living abroad, I can look back and see that a lot of the things I worried about were not worth a moment of stress. Conversely, there are plenty of other things I wish I had known before boarding the plane.
Scroll below to learn more about things I wish I knew before studying abroad:
(Photos and Text by Madison Knapp)
Pleasantries in French
Even with my experience in the French language, including seven years of studying the language and previous visits to France and Francophone countries, I quickly realized I wasn’t comfortable with certain everyday phrases. An example is when you go to a restaurant, and they ask if you want the food to go or dine in, which in French is ”à emporter“ or “sur place”, respectively.
I found myself stumbling along whenever I went to a restaurant or store, asking if I had a “carte de fidélité” or a store card. Eventually, I learned these nuances in the French language. This showed me that no matter how much French grammar I know, truly living in a foreign-language community challenges how much of a language I know.
School Differences
The culture and relationship between professor and student are very different in the French education system, and are more distant than I’m used to. There is much less class participation, fewer projects or homework assignments, and most professors show up late to class or cancel class altogether. There’s even the small detail where most girls use large purses rather than backpacks for their school supplies.
There were a few school supplies that I was surprised that French students use more often than American students. For some of my exams, I had to bring my own paper, which was unexpected, so I had to borrow it from another student. I have also developed an attachment to using white-out during tests, especially for essays, because they’re so popular among French students.
Fashion
France is stereotypically known as a country centered on the fashion industry, and I was really surprised to find out how true that stereotype is. Whenever I went to campus, I’d look around at the French girls, and they’d all be wearing tall black boots, a black skirt, and a long trench coat, almost every day. Not exactly what you’d call Missoula’s GORP look that I’ve become accustomed to.
I know it seems like an odd thing to focus on, but for me, it was important not to stand out too much. I wanted to feel like part of the community I was being implanted into, and that meant looking the part as much as acting the part. Because of this, I do wish I’d known a bit more about casual French fashion culture so I could feel better prepared and more integrated into the community.
Holidays
I never knew how big of a deal Labor Day was in France, not to mention that it’s celebrated on the 1st of May. This is just one example of different holidays in France that I wish I had known about before going abroad. If I had known about these holidays, I could have celebrated with others and felt like a bigger part of the community.
Knowing more about holidays is also useful, as most restaurants and stores close on holidays, and I have, more than once, gone to a restaurant and not realized it was closed until I tried to open the door. I also found it very odd when all of my friends and family back home wouldn’t have school on President’s Day, but I still had classes that day.
Managing Money Abroad
It can be really hard to know how much you will need to financially prepare for studying abroad. I found my expectations to be very different from reality, especially since I haven’t traveled for such a long period of time like this before. I had to limit my traveling much more than expected.
At the beginning, since I’d be in Europe, I had dreams of traveling to a new country every month. However, the reality of the travel expenses set in quickly after my first trip. I wish I had budgeted a bit more and saved money on daily expenses so I could travel more, rather than being stressed out about my finances all the time.
Traveling
Since the European traveling system mainly revolves around trains, I assumed that it would be the least expensive way to travel around France. However, when my friend from Germany told me about a 2-euro bus to the airport after I had already spent 50 euros on the train, I knew I had a lot to learn.
I also learned, about halfway into my time abroad, that you can get discount cards for the train. I purchased the “Carte Advantage Jeune” which allowed me a discount since I’m under the age of 26. There are more cards you can purchase for further discounts, but I wasn’t aware of all of them. I learned, overall, to make sure to check all the options you have before traveling through Europe.
Politics
Politics have come up a lot while I’ve been in France, mostly from the international students that I’ve befriended. I never expected politics to be such a big part of the conversation, and I wish that before I went abroad, I had focused more on both American and French politics. With that knowledge, I could be more informed when people asked me what I thought about a certain issue.
French people are also very political, often participating in protests and fighting for their own rights. The French government works very differently than the American government. For example, the French government has way more than two political parties, including Far-Left, Miscellaneous Left, New Popular Front, Miscellaneous Center, Miscellaneous Right, Far-Right, and more. I wish I’d studied it more so I could have a better understanding of the politics of the country I’m studying abroad in.
Part of the Experience is Learning What You Don't Know
As much as I wish I would’ve known what to expect in France, some things are impossible to know beforehand. In many cases, part of studying abroad is accepting that you won't know certain things and that you have to be okay with that. It’s hard to prepare for things that you might not know about. It’s best to have an open attitude and understand that messing up is all part of the experience.
Madison Knapp est étudiante à l’Université du Montana, où elle étudie l’écriture créative et le français. Originaire de Bellingham, dans l’état du Washington, elle adore étudier à UM. Elle fait partie du Davidson Honors College. Madison est fière de jouer dans la Grizzly Marching Band.
