My room: Since I wasn't in a homestay, it really felt like my own

Ahhh, Paris. Everyone I know loves it for different reasons, and has their own grievances with it as well. For my part, here’s what I’d pass along to future students:

I. Capitalize on what you’ve got

Do you have a friend of the family who lives in Paris? Did your best friend’s brother’s girlfriend just get transferred there for work? Do you vaguely remember meeting a Parisian at a party some months ago in Brooklyn? If so, do not write off this connection as too far-fetched! The most common complaint I heard during this semester was, “I haven’t met any French people.” Though it may have been luck in part, my one real connection in Paris (a woman my boyfriend met at a party) ending up opening countless doors for me. Particularly because she had moved there from the States a few years back not knowing a soul, Frances knew that her invitations meant a lot to me. I went to as many of the parties, dinners, gallery openings and events that she invited me as possible, and met countless French people and ex-pats that way. Some of her close friends would often be there, too, and some of them became good friends of mine as well. Essentially, through Frances I learned that it pays to say, “Hi! I’m in Paris, and I’m looking to meet people. Just tell me where to be, what I can bring, and I’ll be there!”

II. Speak French

If you’re serious about strengthening your French, hang out with people who want to do the same. I have to say, I was very disappointed with the overall attitude of the NYU group in this regard. For me, it would simply not have been worth coming to Paris if I had only used my French to order meals and listen in classes. With a few of my American friends in Paris, we got into the habit of speaking French while out in public. The majority of NYU students seemed very reluctant to use their French for more than the necessities, and thought it was weird to speak French to one another. While there is a slightly funny feeling when you switch into French with someone you normally speak to in English, to me it was so worth the effort. In the metro or in a café, I felt so much more a part of my surroundings by staying in French mode.

III. Get a roommate

Point blank, I don’t know anyone who was truly satisfied with his or her homestay in Paris. Experiences ranged from having no peace amidst a family of five kids, living with a hyper-controlling and bitter old woman, and having to cook dinner at 4:30 in order to have use of the kitchen. Almost no one I knew in a homestay could have guests over, which to me is reason enough not to do it. I found a roommate in advance of my arrival on Craig’s List, and was so pleased with how it worked out. My roommate is a few years older than me, works in marketing, is bilingual, and has lived in Paris for two years. She was not only a great source of Parisian know-how, but turned out to be a real friend. I feel that I gained so much having done the work on my own to find a roommate and place that suited me, as opposed to letting NYU set me up with a roommate and location that I knew nothing about until arriving.

IV. A few favorite places!

a. Canal St-Martin: A sweet canal just a few blocks from the République metro stop, this place is lined with affordable and low-key cafés and bars, as well as some fun thrift shops and boutiques. Great at night, with the lights on either side reflecting off the water.
b. Any and all gardens: My favorites are the Jardin de Luxembourg (during the week when it’s quieter) and the Jardin des Tuileries, but any outdoor space with a stretch of grass and benches is likely to be lovely in Paris! There are lots of pocket parks and public spaces, and it’s worth taking the time to roam and find them while the weather is still nice. I did as much or my course reading as possible outdoors during the early fall months, knowing that I’d be stuck inside a lot as it got colder and I had more papers to write!
c. Any café with regulars: Pay attention, when you stop at cafés near your apartment, to how people are interacting. If you get the sense that it’s a place with regular customers who know one another, make it your business to become one! Although I never got the point of doing la bise (the ubiquitous cheek-to-cheek air kiss) with the bartenders, as some people did at my favorite local spot, they did know my face and my usual drink, which was enough to cheer me up a bit on days when my foreigner status was getting to me.

Lastly, a quick note on maps: realize that everything in Paris looks further on a map than it is in real life! I often thought I didn’t have time to do something because it seemed like a far trek, when in fact it was a 15-minute walk. And often, because of all the diagonal-running lines, the metro takes longer than walking, so opt for biking or walking when you can!

There are other bits of wisdom that I think we all came upon in the course of our semesters abroad, but I know that anyone doing the same will learn those lessons themselves. And that’s part of the fun: feeling how your approach to your time abroad has matured. Hopefully though, these more specific reflections will be a useful head’s up!

Here’s my advice on anyone planning on coming to Prague:
See?! No dude with a moustache and top hat.: Image courtesy of Czech National Bank website.
1. The Koruna is NOT Monopoly Money: It may seem like it is when the ATM spits out crowns in the form of hundreds and thousands, but that doesn’t mean it’s worthless. Develop a sense of how much 100, 200 and 500 crowns are as quickly as possible and you won’t blow as much money in the beginning.
2. Go To The Castle When It’s Not Too Warm And Not Too Cold: Too warm and there are hundreds or thousands of people there, too cold and you’ll be killing yourself because it’s on top of a huge ass hill. It’s very beautiful.
3. Hit The Botanical Gardens/Wallenstein Garden/Letna/Petrin Parks When It’s Warm: Prague gets very gray and very dark very quickly in the fall and stays that way until like, April. These places are some of the most beautiful and green in the city, so make sure you take advantage of them when you can.
4. Don’t Take The Jewish Quarter Tour Unless It’s Free: The Jewish Quarter is very nice, and very close to campus. The tour though is about three hours long and you’re over it about an hour in. Don’t miss the Jewish Quarter, just don’t take the official tour.
5. Buy A Subway Pass: It makes your life much easier, and you can take any public transport at any time for however long you need it. It’s tempting not to get one, but chances are over a whole semester, you’re going to get caught, and getting caught once costs half the price of the 90-day pass.
6. Visit The National Museum on the 1st Monday of the Month: It’s free! And it’s worthwhile just to see how Czech museums differ culturally from New York ones, or even other European museums in countries that are more museum-friendly/have more money.
7. Go To The Narodni Divadlo/Rudolfinium: These are the national theater and ceoncert hall/opera house respectively. They are beautiful, cheap, and the performances are always great. Plus, Czech people love them so it’s a good way to experience Czech theater without the “tourist trap” flavor.
8. Find A Local Bar: Wherever you live, it’s good to have a place where the people know who you are on sight. This is especially applicable in Prague, where people often hate you.
9. Smazeny Syr: This could be the best or worst recommendation anyone has ever made to you. Yeah the beer’s good, the sausages are great, the goulash is amazing, but the crème de la crème of Czech cuisine is the drunchie food smazeny syr. You WILL get addicted and you will like it.

To any who might find themselves in this beautiful city of art, culture, and good food that is Florence, here are some tidbits that might prove useful.

Living Arrangements: Since a lot of people have questions about whether or not to do a homestay, here’s what I thought about my experience.

PROS:

1. Full immersion experience.

2. Delicious, homecooked meals.

3. Mini excursions to the wine processing plant, Italian dinner parties, and the best gelato place in the city, etc. which is hard to come by if you’re not living with locals.

4. A chance to really bond with a family and have a kind of home away from home while in Europe.

CONS:

1. A sense of isolation from the rest of the NYU community.

2. If you like going out every night to restaurants or eating with friends, probably not the place for you since you’ll be expected to eat with the family at a pretty regular time (anywhere between 8-9:30pm).

3. A lack of independence that you might be used to back in college.

4. A sense of intrusion on their private family life.

Food:

Favorite sandwich shop: Li Li (Via Aprile XXVII and Via Zanobi which is west of San Marco. Ask for #9, which is a “surprise.”)

Favorite Italian with nice atmosphere: Il Santo Bevitore (across the Arno)

Best deal: Dante’s (across the Arno; no cover charge & free first drink)

Best Pizza: Il Pizzaiolo (Via di Macci)

Best Mexican: Tijuana (Via Ghibellina)

Best Indian: India (in Fiesole)

Random tidbits:

1. Visit the gardens on the NYU campus. The best gardens in the city in my opinion.

2. Do some of the events that NYU provides; discounted and most of them were pretty good.

3. If you miss American movies, check out the Odeon. Gorgeous theater with American movies at a pretty good price.

4. Keep an eye out for any food/wine festivals that might be happening in the area.

5. Visit Fiesole at sunset.

6. Plan ahead with your travels, but be careful about who you choose as your travel buddies. (Use skyscanner.net for best deals on flights.)

7. Walk around the city by yourself and check out all the random specialty shops.

8. Eat at McDonald’s at least once. It’s fun to compare with the American McDonald’s (and I personally think it tastes better).

9. Go to a Firenze soccer game. CRAZY Italians!

10. Sit along the Arno or on one of the bridges and just soak it all in.

Final Berlin expeditions: the Zoo. Probably the first time I've been to a zoo in 10 years.          I woke up this morning (well, afternoon really) and realized that I have only one more assignment left for the semester. The rest of my classes are all finished. I’ve said goodbye to my professors and only have an essay due. The end of this semester seemed so surreal compared to New York. Maybe it’s the lack of actual work that we’ve done, or the lack of giant final exams. It’s very strange to wake up in a foreign city surrounded by friends and have no purpose except to hang out and explore all the places that we have not yet seen. I’m determined to take full advantage of this and to have the best week of my life! Or at least close to that.

After a full semester in Berlin, I can confidently sum up my advice: GO ABROAD. With that said, I’ve realized that study abroad is not for everyone. For those who were willing to step outside of their comfort zone, they had the most amazing experience of their lives. They would get up and just start walking, or just get off the train to see where they were. They’d meet up after class with professors over a beer. They were willing to fumble through their clumsy German in order to find what they needed in a supermarket.

Those who were put off by the slightest cultural difference or moment of hardship spent more time in their apartments than outside. Quite understandably, we did have some difficult moments and I understand completely why someone would feel safe/unwelcome/unsure – just as an example, three cars were set on fire on our street back in September.

As much as I love Berlin, though, there are just a couple things I wish I had known beforehand, the most obvious being the language. Knowing German is not essential but it’s important. Our neighborhood is also predominantly Turkish, so even if you arrived here with a good grasp on German, you would’ve been in for a bit of a surprise. If you’ve visited Berlin, you’d also know that the public transportation system is very extensive, and very confusing. I wish I’d understood a bit better how to use the system, but now it’s easily navigable. I also never experienced culture shock here. Berlin is extremely cutting-edge and modern, and if you like New York, you’ll probably love Berlin.

If you have never studied abroad before, my biggest piece of advice is that you should expect to feel uncomfortable. That’s part of being in a new city anywhere in the world, and I truly think that the people who benefit the most from study abroad are those who just smile and shrug and carry on. Take every experience as a moment to learn something new, not as an obstacle in the battle of You vs. City. There WILL be cultural nuances that you won’t pick up right away. You WILL be confused when the train doors don’t open automatically – after a few rides, you’ll realize you need to press the button – you WILL buy quark instead of yogurt (what even is quark?), and you WILL respond to a stranger’s question with a blank stare and slight smile because you have no idea what they have just asked.

For those of you in the course who took those few extra steps to get yourselves in a new situation, thank you – some great blog posts came out of these experiences, and it sounds like you all learned so much. I say that the best memories and opportunities for learning come from stepping outside of your comfort zone, and it sounds like most of you did just that. Thank you for sharing your experiences here, thanks for reading mine, and thank you for daring to study abroad!

There's a HUGE city out there to explore

How can it already be four months? I mean, I know that everyone says that the study abroad experience is always feels short, but I guess I just had to find out for myself. Firstly, I think studying in Buenos Aires is a great choice. This city has an amazing amount to offer. The program here is really fantastic. The only downsides (for me) were that you’re not allowed to take classes at local universities and that all of the students are from the states. I have two pieces of advice that I’d offer: one, have an open mind and take advantage of any opportunity you’re given, and two, get involved in an activity outside of NYU. Some of the things I’ve treasured most about my trip and some of the best times I’ve had have come from meeting and talking to random people I’ve met here. I think that having a certain openness and willingness to meet new people, something that MANY lack at NYU in New York, will truly enhance your stay. Even if it’s just someone or something you meet or do for one random night, those can be the best experiences you’ll have. As for number two, I, for example, played in an ultimate frisbee league here in Buenos Aires. This activity was not only fun, but I also got to meet a lot of great people and be part of another community here. Whatever you’re interested in, try to find it here in Buenos Aires.
Preparation? The only thing you need to prepare yourself for in being open and ready to have an amazing time. There are a million cool places I could list in this post, but honestly, the most fun part is exploring. My million cool places aren’t going to be the same as your million cool places, which I’m sure you’ll find when you come here. To be real, exploring is one of the best parts about studying abroad. Of course you should travel around Argentina/South America, but don’t forget about exploring the city. One thing I’d highly recommend is to never stop exploring. It can be easy to just go to the same places over and over, but take the initiative to venture to new neighborhoods and restaurants and you’ll be highly rewarded. There’s soooo much to do this city, more than anyone could possibly do, so don’t restrict yourself to staying in just a few/one neighborhood–Palermo–like so many people on my program did (even though there’s a lot of cool bars/restaurants there). Lastly, stay with a host family, you already lived in the dorms freshman year. If you don’t like your situation you can always switch, but you’ll be infinitely more rewarded living with a host family, you won’t regret it.

View from Asia de Cuba, my Favorite club right on the riverIn the past four months I have experienced both some of the best moments in my life as well as some of the worst. This statement essentially defines my study abroad experience as well as summarizes the opinions of others I have talked to, in Buenos Aires and other abroad sites. I would say that Buenos Aires is one of the best places to be but definitely doesn't have the best program. Buenos Aires is cheap, its fun, its in close proximity to amazing places and is has some of the most beautiful architecture and women in the world. Below I will provide a list of statements providing advice about life and times in BA.

1. Eat steak and eat a lot it. If you don't eat meat you will be finding yourself struggling to find alternative eats.
2. That said try to eat on the cheap side, find a couple good places and stick with them.
3. Use the money that you save on going out to travel outside of BA
4. Go to Mendoza and do the bike wine tour.
5. Go see the waterfalls in Iguazu
6. Go to El Calafate and do a tour of the glaciers
7. During spring break try and check out another country. My favorite had to be Bolivia- its cheap and has some of the best natural wonders in the universe. 4 day jeep tour of the salt flats= $70, nuf said
8. take a day trip to "el tigre", beautiful escape from the hustle and bustle of the city
9. If your going in spring take a boat down to Punta del Este in Uruguay. Pricy but beautiful
10. Best Clubs in Buenos Aires= Crobar, Asia de Cuba, Liquid, Pacha, Shampoo
11. If your into clubbing, this is the greatest place to do it. Clubs are way cheaper than NYC and stay open throughout the night.
12. Best Restaurants= Don Julio, La Cabrera, Osaka, Itamae, Mirasol
13. Don Julio is a great traditional Parilla with an amazing wine list and my absoulte favorite place to spend an evening. La Cabrera may be touristy but its steaks are some of the best on the planet. Try the Chorizo Mariposa= butterfly sausage. Osaka is a spin off of sushi with a peruvian twist. Its a little on the pricy side but its worth a visit at least once while your in Buenos Aires. Itamae its traditional sushi and if your sick of empanadas and steak, it is a great alternative
14. If you don't feel like going out to a restaurant, try making some of your own food or hitting up the cheap spots. La Poloma is right around the corner from the NYU site and serves up 6 peso choripan. Choripan is a sausage sandwich, which is high in fat but also high in the pleasure factor. One of my favorite lunch specials while I spend my time wasting away in school is fresh bread and avocado sandwiches. For 4 pesos or $1 you can get two bread rolls and an avocado, add some salt and serve up for the perfect little delicacy.
15. Best places to waste the night away drinking= el Alamo, Plaza Serrano, Milon, Levitar, Godoy
16. Though El Alamo might be an ex pat bar its the perfect place to meet argentine men and women. I've met and befriended countless Argentines there as well as watched plenty of sports games on sunday afternoons. Plaza Serrano is a great little spot in the Palermo neighborhood, full of bars and restaurants that stay open till the wee hours of the afternoon. Milon as I mentioned in another post is a fantastic Mansion converted into a bar that makes for a good location to take someone on a date. Levitar is a place hidden from the rest of the world that stays open until 2PM, not that I've been there that late, or one could say that early. Dj's of all sorts spin beats here and drinks are cheap and delicious. Godoy is close to Levitar and also situated in the Palermo neighborhood. It's got a great out door patio when the weather is right.
17. My Favorite parks= Parque 3 de Febrero, Parque Las Heras
18. Favorite Musuem= the MALBA, essentially the MOMA of BA
19. If you could live in one neighborhood I would say live on the border between Palermo and Recoleta. One huge problem with this program is that NYU makes it mandatory for you to live in a NYU housing site. I got out of it with a little bit of trickery and got my own apartment. NYU rips students off and sometimes sticks them in crazy home stays with Jesus worshipping freaks. Renting your own apartment is much cheaper and will give you more freedom to have people over for drinks or whatever.
20. Don't expect much from school here, classes are on the weak side. That said, some of the spanish Professors are really amazing including Pia Bouzas.
21. My last piece of advice has to be make the experience as memorable as possible. Don't stop yourself from meeting new people, seeing new places and living a tad bit on the wild side. Though things may get rough and though BA can be an inefficient place to live, there is nothing quite as amazing as living in another country thousands of miles away from home.

an Argentine gaucho

Bit of advice number one: STUDY ABROAD. It does not matter how long you do it for or even where you go, just do it! Studying abroad is one of the most valuable, eye-opening experiences of a person’s life. The second most important piece of advice is to hold no expectations. You will be let down. Everyone’s imagination romanticizes places, situations, etc. Wherever you go, it won’t be the same as dreamland. Just go into the situation without looking back. And go into with two feet. Don’t leave part of you behind at home, otherwise you will have the hardest time adjusting and adapting to your new home. It will almost be impossible. Have no inhibitions. Try everything once because who knows when you will ever have that chance again. It is always good to go out of your shell once in a while. Everything is a learning experience; thus, have no regrets…

As for Argentina…

1. Try to make Argentine friends. I didn’t really make many. I wish I had.
2. Speak Spanish as much as you can. Don’t be embarrassed. Just dooo it.
3. Live in a homestay. Almost everybody does. You may get the crap end of the draw, but you can change families. Living with a foreign family makes you grateful for your own family, upbringing etc. It also gives you another home in another country…that’s awesome.
4. Bring a watch or an alarm clock. They have no clocks here.
5. See as much art as you can. Latin American art is amazing.
6. Walk around Palermo SOHO. I guess you could maybe say it has a West Village feel to it.
7. Go to the San Telmo street market on Sundays. It is a good experience.
8. Monday nights at the Konex there is a 20 man improve drum show. AWESOME.
9. Tuesday nights go to Jobs. That’s a good Tuesday night spot with pool tables, foosball, board games, and might I add, archery.
10. Eat at Bar 6, Bar Uriarte, and Don Julio.
11. Bring your own peanut-butter because they don’t have that here.
12. Learn to take naps because you will die without them here.
13. Have a good pair of walking shoes because the sidewalks are terrible.
14. The money situation here is awful.
    
    1. They have a shortage of change. Hoard it.
    2. It is difficult to break a 100. Try to keep a lot of small bills on you at all times. A lot of places take only cash, but they never have change to give back to you.
    3. Watch out for fake money.
15. There is dog poop everywhere. Watch out!
16. The cab situation is funky here. They say to always call one, but I managed safely until now. Use your best judgment. Some are fake cabs. Try to at least always take a Radio Taxi (the main brand).
17. Be patient. EVERYTHING is slow here and somewhat inefficient.
18. Try a steak. They are the best here.
19. Go to an estancia. They are beautiful.
20. Try to see a soccer game. It is such a cultural experience.
21. Eat bonbons (the candy).
22. Try matte (the tea)
23. And lastly, drink as much Malbec (red wine) as you can. It is so amazing and CHEAP. Take advantage while you can.
24. ENJOY

Tower of LondonSo it's that time of the semester, time to give advice to those who may consider studying abroad or those who are in fact doing so. First and foremost, just living abroad, regardless of where, is important and I think necessary for everyone. Once you've decided what to do, obviously you've got to deal with visas and packing. In terms of packing for London, layers are key. Be sure to have a rain coat, rain boots and umbrella. The idea that London is a rainy city is true (to some extent, though I wouldn't say it rains all the time). Also, keep in mind that not only is London expensive, the exchange rate sucks. Unless you have a Bank of America account (which has a agreement with Barclays), withdrawing money is going to cost you money (exchange rate + ATM fee). To counter this, I came with traveler's checks which can be cashed in Lloyds Bank on Oxford Street. Obviously you have to determine how much to bring with you but there is no commission on exchanging it. You just suffer the exchange rate but at least it's not as bad. You'll most likely be staying in Nido student living which is an international student dorm; this means that there will be many other students from other universities which can mean new friends if you play your cards right. It's a great space except that the rooms are small (very small). Keep that in mind when packing.That being said, you're going to get enough information about these sorts of things so I'll talk about what to do when in London.
It's best to come here with no expectations and completely open to new experiences and people. NYU in London offers excursions on the weekends (to Stonehenge, Bath, Greenwich, Hampton Court etc) and I'd recommend taking as many of those as you can! It's a great way to see parts of England you may not venture to on your own. Also take advantage of the programming events they have such as going to a rugby match (GO! It's amazing) and going on the London Eye. Also go to the tourist-y sites at least once. Visit Platform 9 ¾, go to Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London. It's a part of London that really deserves to be seen.
But what of the non-tourist-y things to see? Well, here's a list of places I'd recommend for you to go to or things to do.
1.Visit a pub (The Rocket, Miller's, Euston Flyer are all on the same road as the dorm). Enjoy the lowered drinking age and the different drinking culture that goes with it.
2.Go to Fortnum and Mason's. It's the “Queen's Grocery Store” and is kind of amazing. Not as famous as Harrod's but just as good. Also go to Harrod's. At least once.
3.Eat Indian food. Brick Lane is a good place. You've probably heard that it's really good in London and they are not lying. (This is coming from an Indian person so...)
4.Use ULU (University of London Union). Plently of places within it to hang out and there are always students there.
5.See a play! You have the Globe Theater at your disposal and the West End is full of shows that need to be seen. I recommend 39 Steps; it was absolutely fantastic.
6.Go to a festival that they may be having during the semester you're there. In the fall, they have the Thames River Festival and I'm sure they have many come spring.
7.Walk a lot. Anywhere. It'll help you spot things you want to see and will help you see things you may have otherwise missed.
8.Take the time to appreciate the architecture around London.
9.Go out on a weeknight. At least once. Enjoy a student club night (oftentimes these are Wednesdays).
10.Go to a museum. The British Museum is conventionally located right next to where NYU classes in London are held. The Victoria and Albert Museum is worth a trip as well. It has a whole section on fashion in addition to paintings and sculptures.
Also travel outside the country. There is a break in the semester that allows for that but many cities can be seen on a weekend. But don't forget to enjoy the place that you're living; don't neglect London at the expense of blowing through another city in a weekend. London has so much to see and many things to do and that last thing you want is to leave feeling like you didn't see enough.
Make the most you can of this fantastic experience!

Paris Woman

Going abroad is an important decision to any college student and is certainly not one that should be taken lightly. For those who are considering going abroad, I would recommend it 100%. It’s a great chance to get out of your personal bubble a little bit and experience something completely different from that to which accustomed, which is important for us all to do at certain times in our lives. As far as study abroad sites go, I would also happily recommend Paris but give some strong advice about how approach the opportunity.

If you are letting NYU do your housing, be as specific as possible on the housing information sheet. If you think you may have any preferences, go ahead and let them know! I thought that requesting a roommate would be enough to ensure that I would have one, but I was wrong and not living with someone is one of my biggest regrets from the semester. Especially if you are living alone for the first time, consider that doing it in another country may not be the best time. (no matter how independent you may think you are it’s nice to be able to share your experiences, good and bad, with someone at the end of the day) If you are not set on letting NYU do your housing, I would highly suggest finding a place on your own. The people who I know that did this got to live right where they wanted, with who they want, and for the price that they wanted- It’s not as hard as you might think. Basically what I am saying is be happy with whatever your living situation is going to be because no matter what, this is where you are ending your days and it is a good idea to end on a happy note.

Secondly, I would like to leave a note about packing. I am the QUEEN of over packing and this was one of my biggest concerns before I left. I would recommend bringing lots of layers. Paris has fickle weather and sometimes it can be really cold in the morning but then perfectly warm and sunny by the afternoon, so it is best to prepared! (this also means an umbrella that is small enough to keep with you all the times) This will also help you not to pack as much stuff because if you bring several things that you can wear multiple ways then it is easy to wear the same thing multiple times without it being too obvious.

On the issue of money, the exchange rate is a killer! If you try translating things from euros to dollars you will quickly realize you are paying twice as much for everything. To avoid this headache and painful reminder of our flailing economy, plan a budget (and stick to it!!) IN EUROS. Also, if you are not planning to open a bank account in Paris I would suggest having a Bank of America account because then you can withdraw cash from BNP Paribas with zero problems. Make sure you find out about fees for all your debit and credit cards before you leave! I had problems with this upon my arrival and it made settling in much more stressful.

My biggest piece of advice is to not be too caught up in what you think the experience should be. Not everyone is required LOVE their site in the sense that you want to stay another semester or move back at some point. This is also to say that you shouldn’t feel like a failure if you don’t meet your future French husband, or Parisian BFF. While it is awesome to be able to immerse yourself in the culture, it really is pretty hard to meet people with whom you will actually have a lasting relationship. But, this being said, don’t be afraid to talk and mingle with the Parisians when you go out… you never know! Study abroad is different for everyone and the experience is really up to you. You will have a lot of free time, so be prepared. Possibly start a list before you arrive of things you could do on your own when you have some time on your hands. Finally, make the best of it and do as much as possible!

OH YEA... Save yourself and your parents some paranoia and DON'T watch "Taken" before you leave...

Exploring Paris

I would tell anyone who is planning on studying abroad to come to Paris, but to come without expectations. The images we are often presented with in the United States of Paris are that of Paris from long ago, not modern Paris. I think it is best to arrive here expecting nothing, in order to really see Paris. That being said, the program here is not a joke. It is pretty rigorous academically, so be prepared and think about maybe taking 12 or 14 credits instead of 16. That way, you’ll get more time to explore Paris and travel around Europe.

Here, I live in a studio apartment in the 4th arrondisement close to the Marais. I asked specifically to live in this area, because if you don’t you can be placed anywhere. Try to fit your preferences some where on the housing form to be placed appropriately. If I had to recommend an area I would say the 3rd, 4th, 11th, and 18th arrondisements are great choices. They all have pretty large young populations, so they are ideal for study abroad students. Also, I know it is very convenient to find housing through NYU, but having done that, I think finding your own is safer. With NYU you get what you get, so you have more flexibility searching for an apartment before you get here. Plus, the landlords NYU works with elevate their prices a bit because they know it’s your only option.

As for things and places to do, I have a fair bit to recommend.

1. Get Felafel in Paris. DO NOT go to L’As du Felafel, its not as awesome as everyone makes it out to be. Go to Chez Hanna down the block at 54 Rue des Rosiers off the corner of Rue Vieille du Temple. Metro: Saint Paul.

2. When you miss home, go to Breakfast in America, a classic American diner in Paris. I prefer the Marais location at 4 Rue Malher. Metro: Saint Paul.

3. If you want to meet some French hipsters and drink cheap beer, head over to Le Truskel in the 2nd Arrondisement. 12 Rue Feydeau. Metro: Bourse.

4. If your family is in town, get them to take you to a three star Michelin restaurant. My favorite is Taillevent. Lunch is a steal at 80 Euro. 15 Rue Lamennais. Metro: Georges V.

5. Be a tourist and take a ride on Les Vedettes du Pont Neuf at night. I don’t care if it’s cheesy, it’s beautiful.

6. Tuesday night is Ladies Night at the Long Hop, a British bar in the 5th. It’s a no frills, laid back atmosphere with super nice bartenders. 25 Rue Frédéric Sauton. Metro: Maubert Mutualité.

7. Go to a bakery that sells a bread called “La Parisse.” It will change your life.

8. Go to La Défense and see a different side of Paris.

Paris has so much to offer. My list could go on and on. Luckily, I will be in Paris for another semester, so for those of you coming in the spring feel free to ask me any questions! And for those of you who are thinking about coming to Paris for the weekend, you should. Everyone should come to Paris at least once in their lives, so why not now?