14. Advice

lost and foundMy advice to other students planning to study abroad: first of all, just do it. Anxieties that might seem almost insurmountable usually work themselves out--fears that I had prior to coming to Paris are almost laughable now. The first step is just getting there, and after that, all you really need is an open mind. It’s important for your own happiness and sanity to have a sense of agency, and to feel that you are capable of getting things done, and of navigating the city. Therefore, get out as much as possible, explore, and talk to people (in their language) as best as you can. Living in a foreign country can be exhausting, especially when you first arrive, and the temptation to just stay inside and speak English exclusively is hard to resist, but your effort definitely pays off.

Rain in ParisI would advise people coming to Paris—or anyone traveling abroad, really—not to bring a lot of stuff. Really. It’s a huge hassle to have a lot of baggage, physical and emotional. First of all, you’re in Paris to have fun and see the city. You don’t need fifty books, a huge wardrobe, or a bunch of hangups over an old boyfriend. Leave it all behind. Let yourself have a fresh start.
In terms of preparation, it cannot be stressed enough that Campus France is a ridiculous, time-consuming, frustrating process that should be dealt with sooner rather than later. The French invented the word bureaucracy for a reason. If there can be a problem, there will be. With something as important as a visa, assume the worst will happen and go from there. Otherwise you risk ending up like a girl at the consulate when I got my visa, sobbing outside and unable to change her very expensive international flight.
Paris is a very wet city. It is constantly about to rain. Even when it isn’t raining, the air is so full of moisture that the temperature, hot or cold, is greatly exaggerated. Forty degrees feels piercing cold in a steady drizzle. The winter lasts more than four months and there will not be a single day with steady sunshine. It will be continuously grey with very few breaks in the clouds even in the spring. The cobblestones are not as charming when it rains, especially after the third time you slip within three steps. An umbrella, a hooded coat, and shoes that will keep your feet dry, and on the ground, are pretty important. (It should be noted that I have none of these things, hating umbrellas, hoods, and practical shoes. But I’m not as concerned for my own comfort.)
Any other advice I have is less cohesive, and is as follows:

    Yes yes, I recommend this program for many reasons. Of course, everyone has a different experience with everything, so I can only tell about mine. But mine has been really great. I've enjoyed the city, the people, the NYU staff here, and basically my whole time. Last year I was not so into NYU, both the people and the institution. I spent the year attending my classes, but that's about all I had to do with the school, I hardly ever hung out with students or did any NYU activities. Since I've always lived off-campus, being so detached from the school has been too easy--and it' what I wanted in the beginning. I'm till happy about it, since I still have my reservations about the whole NYU thing in New York, but here in Buenos Aires, I think they do an amazing job. The center where we take our classes is great, big, and nicely located. The staff are all wonderful (in my opinion) and seem to be friends will all of us students. Also, I know planned activities can be silly, but theirs were really good I think. Maybe orientation week was a bit much, but I think that always happens with orientations. I think I already mentioned this, but the trip to Salta (which NYU planned and paid for) was really, really wonderful, beautiful, and nicely done. Also, as I'll write about in my next post, they did a free, huge, great Thanksgiving dinner for us, in a country where it can be very difficult to find turkeys.     More on Buenos Aires, and being here--I think the whole study abroad was a lot different for the last group who came, and will be a lot different for the next group to come. This is because the size of the group changes so much. Last semester (the first one here) they were only about 30 students. Now we are about 60. I don't know how it will be next time.

Kwame Nkrumah Points to the Future Before I came to Ghana, all I really knew about the program and the country was what I gleaned from Facebook stalking people I knew who were there. Sometimes I wish I'd known more and others, I am happy I knew so little. Ghana is not a place you can prepare yourself for, beyond stocking up on malaria meds, advil, cotton t-shirts and sunscreen. You can google image Accra, read some guide books, but cliché as it sounds, you have to see it to believe it. You have to be here to understand. Because of this I find it difficult to describe my everyday experiences to friends and family back home. I usually just tell people that everything is "fine" and that they should check out my blog, which they never do. Not only do I have a difficult time describing Ghana to others, I often get the feeling that people don't really care to try and understand. It's too much effort. That said, let me try to paint a picture of this city for prospective NYU in Ghana students.

Accra is always hot. When I arrived in August, everyone was quick to warn us that the rainy "cool" season was ending and the harmattan would blow and it would get HOT. I couldn't imagine it getting much hotter, but I hoped it would become less humid. Not only has the average temperature at midday risen by four or five degrees celsius, but the humidity has not abated one bit. Bring plenty of cool loose clothing. You will be warned to dress more conservatively in Ghana than in the US, but don't take that too much to heart. In rural areas it may be slightly different, but in Accra shorts are fine, tank tops are fine, anything that you wouldn't feel uncomfortable wearing on the New York subway is fine. Also, AC is scarce, so cool clothing comes in handy indoors and out.

The fair in San Telmo
Buenos Aires is a beautiful, exciting, and friendly city. Known as the “Paris of the Americas”, the city is home to many museums, theaters, art galleries, gardens, and other places of interest. The people here take a distinct pride in their European ties. Many residents are descendents of Italian or German heritage; also the princess of Holland is an Argentine.
I think for anyone wanting to learn Spanish while saving some money, Buenos Aires is the place to go. The peso which once was on par with the dollar, uno por uno as the saying went, it is now about 1 dollar for every 3.4 pesos.
I would recommend the site, the staff here is really helpful, there’s a lot to do in the city, the classes are more or less agreeable.
The weather here is also a plus. Since the seasons are flipped you will end up with more summer than you would normally and the winter here is mild compared to that of NYC. Imagine wearing flip flops and sundresses or shorts to all of your Christmas parties.
At first Argentine Spanish is really difficult. The accent is very different and they even have a unique way of conjugating the second person! I still have difficulty understanding male speakers, really not sure why, but perhaps it is tied to their slurred accent and vocabulary. After a while though it becomes much easier and since there is a healthy mixture of Spanish and English in the city it’s really easy to learn and to be understood by almost anyone.

Studying abroad in Florence, Italy may be one of the best decisions I have ever made. Aside from everything being absolutely gorgeous, everyday is a new adventure. I have learned to appreciate every little thing here. My advice for students considering studying abroad is DO IT! However, before you come abroad there are a few things you should do. Pack minimal, and don’t bring all of the toiletries that you may think you need. Our lifesaver here is the 1 euro store where you can buy things from pans to cook in to body wash and Christmas decorations, it’s amazing. Furthermore, work before you come abroad, and save as much money as possible so you aren’t worried or concerned. Once you get here, do not use the places labeled CHANGE to exchange your currency, atms are the place to get the best rate. Walk around the other side of the river, it is called otrarno, it’s much quieter and residential than other areas. In addition, go into any random churches or museums you find here, chances are they can be very important or just beautiful to check out. JJ Cathedrals is a very small bar located right by the Duomo that has a drink made of half cider, half beer, and a little grenadine; it’s delicious. Check out the American Brunch at Ari’s Diner if you start to miss food from home. However, if you want a twist on Italian food try Borgo Antico, and of course the usual favorites: Acqua al Due, ZaZa, La Giostra, and Il Latini. When it comes to traveling, try to plan ahead even though this may be hard. At least, have a list of places in mind that you want to go to so that you are not compromising your trip for other people. Enjoy Florence, or wherever you are studying, by making sure you stay in the city for at least a few weekends. I wish people would have told me not to bring as much clothing as I have! Especially shoes; do not bring anything you want to last forever because cobblestone streets are not conducive to maintaining them. I hope this advice helps!

A Moment in the Tuileries 1. Luxembourg Gardens- I hate to kick this list off with the obvious by naming Paris’ most popular park, but not only are the gardens one of my favorite spots in Paris, they are also emblematic of Parisian culture. The fact that the Luxembourg Gardens is a public park says a lot about Paris’ accessible beauty and the city’s transfixion with aesthetics. The lush, perfectly manicured lawns lined with vibrantly colored floral arrangements are fit for a king, literally. Yet the park is freely enjoyed by squealing children, teenagers, joggers, cozy couples, and anyone else. The French have a keen sense for what is pretty, and Paris is drenched in French prettiness, from their buildings and gardens, to their paintings, to their food. The “pretty” formula seems to be varying combinations of pastel colors, flowers, white marble, and molding; Monet paints his pinky water lilies, French bakers line their shelves with Easter-colored macarons, and Luxembourg Gardens looks best in the spring.
2. Sunday brunch at Le Cavalier Bleu- In order to transport my favorite New York weekend tradition to Paris, my roommate and I set out to find a perfect Sunday brunch spot. In the 4th arrondissement, on Rue St. Martin looking out onto the Pompidou Center sits Cavalier Bleu, a corner café with an outdoor terrace that stretches out onto Pompidou square, dotted with heating lamps to huddle under. For 9 euro, a glorious French breakfast is yours: the best croissant I’ve had yet, eggs, bacon (which I subbed out for potatoes, without the typical French hassle), bread and jam, coffee/tea, and orange juice so fresh and pulpy they give you a spoon to drink it with. Great way to spend a Sunday morning.

What Not To Wear: This is Pato. He is Argentine and in the middle of nowhere so he can get away with this little ensemble, but as a foreigner to Argentina i wouldn't go prancing around the city in this getup.

Some helpful hints for the South American Traveler:

Do not be fooled into buying the converters that are supposedly designed for South America. These to not fit into 90% of the outlets. Your best bet is to buy the ones designated for Australia. These are the ones with either 2 slanted prongs, or two round prongs. I would get one of each because some plugs do not accommodate both.
Exchange ALL your cash at the airport. I only exchanged a little bit when I arrived, and it is a real pain to go to the “casa de cambia” (exchange house) because that means you have to remember your passport and then walk around with it all day (which scares me, because I would hate to loose that).
Pack light and appropriately. I packed in August, assuming the weather would be just a little chillier than it was at home. I packed one light jacket and a few sweatshirts thinking I would rarely need them. Little did I know when I arrived that it was full-fledged winter down here, and wearing my college sweatshirt outside pegged me as a tourist. I had to resort to my one blazer for about a month and a half, under which I wore a t-shirt every day because I forgot to pack winter tops.