Study Abroad in France and Beyond!

Fabienne Geara (Class of 2018) is  Verrazano Honors Student majoring in Psychology with a business minor. Originally from Lebanon, she relates her adventures traveling through Europe while on a semester-long study abroad in France.

“Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.”

I was planning to study abroad in Europe since I started college. I was able to go to France in the Fall 2017 through IPAG, an international school where I made friends from all over the world including Germany, Poland, Russia, Algeria, Sweden, Mexico, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Finland, India, and even New Jersey!It is hard to find the right words to explain my four-month adventure in France and other neighboring countries. It was more than just taking classes--it was about exploring a continent. I will give a glimpse of every trip I made.

I booked my flight to France two days prior to my departure. This is when I realized that I was going to spend the next 4 months in an unfamiliar environment. However, the moment I landed in Nice I have felt peace and happiness. This colorful place is full of life and positive vibes. Also, being a French speaker made me feel I was home. I spent the first few days in a hostel I shared the room with 3 other travelers. What I liked best in this hostel is that we all shared breakfast together in the morning, downstairs at the lobby. I met with a German girl that was going to the same school as me 

and we were able to share a spacious apartment together, located on the 4^th floor, with a big balcony 3 minutes away from school. We also had a nice TV in the living room that was never turned on. It was late August, the weather was so sunny and the water so warm. We spent so many days having lunch or night parties at the beach.

My first trip was to Paris; I took a flight with a Swedish friend of mine that I met on the first day during orientation. It was in September; the weather was so refreshing and at night the Eiffel Tower would turn pink since it was Breast Cancer month. We went to a food festival where they had food stands to try from all over the world. We also spent a few hours at the Louvres appreciating the beauty of art.

I also had the opportunity to visit Germany(Stuttgart) during Oktoberfest. I went with my roommate to her home where her family hosted me. Using an app, we have found someone driving from Monaco and we drove with them through Italy and Switzerland to get to Stuttgart. I went with my roommate and her mother to buy my “Dindl,” the German traditional costume dress. I felt like I was trying on my wedding dress; there was a tailor there and everyone was helping me pick the right one. I tried every traditional dish they had at the festival and different kind of beers. We had booked a flight to go back to France and make it to class on time but the flight was canceled due to a pilots' strike, so we made our way back overnight by bus. I am very glad things turned this way--I got to enjoy Switzerland’s nature at dusk and we stopped at Milano, Italy, for a couple of hours to have a delicious Italian ice cream and contemplate the Milan Cathedral, the largest Gothic cathedral in the world.  

The journey became even better when my parents came to France to visit me and we booked a trip for 4 days to Venezzia, Italy. We walked all the little roads and bridges of Venezzia and we got lost so many times trying to make it back home. That was the best part. The way those islands are connected is amazing, different than any other. We had a gondola ride in the canals. We also visited Murano, Burano and Torcello islands in a boat ride. Murano is known for manufacturing Murano glass, they showed us how it is made. Burano is known for its sweets and it was yummy! Torcello was my favorite little island, so small and peaceful! It is known for its lace work. 4 days felt like 4 hours.

My last trip was to Amsterdam and Belgium. My New Jersey buddy and I took a flight to Amsterdam where we spent two nights. We just booked the flight, we had no idea where we were going to sleep. We arrived at 11 pm and started walking around asking hotels if there were any vacancies. We were so spontaneous and lucky during this trip. There was an international show they do in Amsterdam once a year called “Turn the lights on,” which is based on a Christmas story, where they light up the whole city that night. I felt that I was on a different planet.

Two days later, we took the bus to Belgium, where we had great beer, waffles and Belgium chocolate! We stayed one night at a stranger’s house. Yes, I actually said a stranger’s house. We met a girl at the train station and we told her if she recommended a place to stay and she recommended her house! We went out with her and her friends that night and went home where her mother made us tea and prepared the bed for us, even brought the family album and told us funny stories. She also gave us little gifts as souvenirs! After all, that stranger became a friend.

And of course I studied! I took 4 classes: (1) A level-four French language class taught by a French professor that didn’t speak any English throughout the course, which helped me practice my French properly. (2) A French culture and civilization class that taught me more about European cultures and history and we took a few trips around the city which was fun. (3) I also took an International Human Resource management class that focused on how to do business in a culture you are not familiar with. (4) The last class was International Economics, which covered basic economic theories; we discussed how Donald Trump's presidency fit into our conversations about the international economic policies. 

My favorite part of this experience was that I  never kept track of the time and didn’t plan ahead. My classes always started in the afternoon. I wouldn’t know if tomorrow I was going to start my day at the beach or in a different city. Overall, I visited 7 different countries (France, Itlay, Switzerland, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium and Monaco) and 18 French cities (Nice, Antibes, Juan les Pins, Cannes, Eze, Ville-Franche, Avignon, Lyon, Paris, Peymeinade, Grasse, Mougins, Cagnes-sur-Mer, Mouans-Sartoux, Cannes la Bocca, Valbonne, Menton and Cap-Ferrat). I also had so many adventures and funny stories in those cities.

I encourage all the students to study abroad--don’t worry about home it will be the same when you come back to it. However, you will grow, go out of your comfort zone and meet people from all over the world!

Au Revoir France

Veronica LaManna, a member of the Verrazano Class of 2016 studying International Business with a minor in French, spent the Fall 2014 semester in Nice, France.  Returning home has given her time to reflect on the experience.

Returning back to the United States was extremely bittersweet.  I was so excited to see my family and friends again after four months, but so sad to leave the country that I was able to call home for those months.  In those four months I was able to experience so much through education and socialization.  Everyday I really learned so much in and out of the classroom.  As I stepped off the plane and back into New York I even experienced a little culture shock to hear everyone speaking English again.  I had been so accustomed to all the language barriers and picking up more and more everyday on the French language that my own first language sounded strange to me.  After being jet-lagged and freezing, due to the extreme climate change, for two weeks I am slowly getting used to life back here in New York.  It is good to be back, but I cannot begin to explain how much I miss living in Nice, and not just for the incredible weather.

            As soon as I returned home my family immediately wanted to see all 3,000 pictures I had taken while I was abroad.  While I was studying abroad, I was able to visit three different countries other than France.  As I talked about in previous blog, I had been to Morocco and Italy.  The last country I traveled to was Switzerland, which was another incredible experience.  I am so fortunate that I was able to see so much while I was abroad.  Studying abroad gives you the opportunity to travel to many countries while you are on a strict budget.  In Europe the flights are affordable and there are so many student discounts that are offered.  If I had not studied abroad I would have been less likely to have ever seen these countries.  I have made so many memories and have met so many amazing people during my travels, which makes me so happy that I took advantage of this opportunity. 

            While I was abroad, I began working on my research paper to graduate with honors in my major of international business. My educational experience in France highly encouraged my topic choice and my basis of information when I wrote my abstract.  Being able to study in an educational system that is completely different from the one that I am used to was the most challenging thing for me.  The challenge was definitely worth it because I learned so much from it. Studying abroad has taught me how to learn in an entirely different way.  I learned how to apply what I learn differently then how I would in my courses here.  Also after studying abroad the first time it gave me the idea to pursue my master’s degree in France. 

            Overall studying abroad was a positive and enriching experience.  I have so many memories and now have friends in almost every country.  I have grown and matured through this experience by living on my own, learning about different cultures, and meeting new people.  After coming back I really do not feel like the same person.  Now I am able to handle more responsibilities without stressing out as much.  I learned so much and I am so happy that I was able to have this incredible opportunity.  Nice will always have special place in my heart and will always feel like home. Jusqu’à la prochaine fois…

Semester Abroad: Learning and Growing in Nice, France

Veronica LaManna, a member of the Verrazano Class of 2016 studying International Business with a minor in French, spent the Fall 2014 semester in Nice, France.  Veronica checked in during the month of November to let us know how she was doing.  Look for her final blog post in the next few weeks!

Coucou! I am currently at the halfway point of my study abroad experience in Nice, France.  It has been a long journey full of memorable experiences.  In the past two months I’ve had the opportunity to experience life in a different country, study in a French university, meet some incredible people, and explore two other countries.  Although it has only been two months, I feel myself becoming a different person.  I am forced to be out of my comfort zone every day, trying to speak a language that is different from my native, and trying to conform to the cultural differences.  I think that I have matured and have created this into a positive experience.

One of the things that took me a while to get used to was the University here in France.  I am studying with other Erasmus, exchange students, so we are all from different countries.  Back in the states, the majority of students in my class was born in the United States and has a similar way of studying and getting work done as I do.  Here, since we are from different countries we have learned different ways of approaching studies.  Some nationalities will work extremely hard while others prefer to sit back and relax.  Most of my assignments consist of group work, which forces us to bring our different work ethics together and try to find a happy medium.  It is not so easy, so it takes longer for the job to get done.  After two months we are starting to find the right balance even though we still have some disagreements. 

Since I’ve been living in France, I’ve gotten the opportunity to travel to two other countries.  Without my Verrazano scholarship I might not have been financially capable of having these two experiences.  I was able to explore Morocco and Rome and some cities in the south of Italy.  My experience in Morocco was the most memorable, and it's truly a country I can never forget.  Some of the Erasmus students and I found a tour hosted by a young man from Morocco. There, I rode a camel through the Sahara, spent one night sleeping in the desert under the stars, and explored the beautiful and historic city of Marrakech.  This was my first time in Africa and it was completely different from Europe and The United States. The city of Marrakech is beautiful, but it also is developing.  This means that there is still some poverty, which was something that I saw for the first time in person.  The experience in Morocco really taught me to appreciate everything I have after seeing how happy they were with having so little.  

Another city I visited was Matera in the south of Italy.  This city has been declared to be the European Cultural Capital for 2019 and was where Mel Gibson’s film, The Passion of The Christ, was filmed. It is one of the oldest cities in the world and was settles during the Paleolithic era. I also found this city very memorable, because I got to experience it with one of my Erasmus friends who lives in this city and also because it had such a rich culture and history.  This historic city was one of the most beautiful I have seen.

Even though I am only halfway through my study abroad journey, I have already experienced so much.  Every day I am learning something new and having a new experience.  I am looking forward to the rest of my study abroad experience and being able to share all of my stories.  C’est toute pour le moment!

Semester Abroad: Bienvenue à Nice, France.

Veronica LaManna, a member of the Verrazano Class of 2016 studying International Business with a minor in French, is spending the Fall 2014 semester in Nice, France.  Veronica arrived in Nice a couple of months ago and is having a great experience so far!  Read below for her first impressions after her arrival in France.

Bienvenue à Nice, France.

I have just begun my study abroad adventure in Nice, France.  I decided to take the same flight as another student who attends the College of Staten Island and who would also be studying at the same school in Nice.  We also decided that it would be better for us to stay with each other and try to find an apartment together.  When we arrived in Nice we did not have an apartment to live in yet, so we stayed in a hostel while we searched for one.  Living in a hostel is something I think everyone should experience.  A hostel is similar to a hotel except it shared with strangers who are usually traveling.  The hostel we stayed in at had two sets of bunk beds, a shower and a sink.  If you needed to use the bathroom, you had to leave the bedroom.  We shared our room with two older women who weren’t from America so they had different ways of doing things that we weren’t used to.  The hostel we stayed at also had rules.  Everyone had to be back in the hostel by 11 o’clock at night.  The hostel also only had Wi-Fi in the lobby downstairs so we weren’t able to have Internet while in the room.  In America we take these small luxuries for granted.  

It was a little hard getting used to life in Europe.  Everything is smaller here, so we had to take turns bringing our luggage up to our room since there was only room for one suitcase in the elevator.  The first few days were extremely stressful since we were jetlagged, unfamiliar with Nice, and living in a different country.  We also were stressed because we wanted to find an apartment to live in quickly. Our school helped us find an apartment, but we had to do most of the work on our own.  It was challenging since we had language barriers with most of the landlords, which caused a few misunderstandings.  After five long days of searching for an apartment we finally found one in Ville Vieux, also known as the Old City.  I have just a ten-minute walk to school and a two-minute walk to the beach.  

The town I live in is very touristy and has a very interesting history.  Our apartment is full of different accents and cultures since it is shared with a few other students who are from different countries.  After getting settled in we had orientation at IPAG, where we got to meet the other Erasmus students and our professors.  In our school we must speak English.  Our student body is made up of students from over thirty different countries.  I have already become friends with so many of the students and it is so interesting to learn about everyone’s culture. Even though the first week was extremely challenging, I have been having an amazing time and I am truly enjoying studying abroad in Nice already.  I am finally getting used to life in Nice and I am looking forward to experiencing this lifestyle for the next four months. 

 

Bon Voyage! Verrazano Student Heads To France For Fall Semester

Veronica LaManna, a member of the Verrazano Class of 2016 studying International Business with a minor in French, will be spending the Fall 2014 semester in Nice, France.  Veronica received a Verrazano Study Abroad Scholarship to help support her study abroad endeavor, and she will be sharing her experiences on the Voyager over the coming months.  Read below for her first blog post.

Bonjour! I will be studying in Nice, France during the Fall 2014 semester. Before I came to the College of Staten Island, I knew that my ultimate dream was to travel the world.  Like most college students, choosing a major was very difficult for me.  I knew that I wanted to incorporate my dream of traveling with my area of study. Keeping traveling in mind, I chose to major in business with an international concentration and to minor in French. During my freshman year, a representative from the Center for International Service at the College of Staten Island gave us information about some study abroad programs that were offered.  I knew right away that before I graduated I wanted to study abroad.  Although I was anxious to study abroad, I decided to wait until my junior year of college so I would be able to have more knowledge of the French language.  I also found out that I could potentially receive a scholarship from The Verrazano School that would help with the cost of studying abroad.

I went to the Center for International Service and gathered some more information about studying abroad. I knew that I definitely wanted to study in France because I have taken French classes for seven years and have always loved French culture. The representative from the Center helped me select a program that would fit my field of study and fit my budget.  After a lot of thinking I decided to apply for the CSI Ambassador Exchange Program at IPAG Business School in both Paris and Nice.  This program was perfect for me because it was being offered to only students who are business majors. The students who are accepted pay the College of Staten Island tuition, which is very affordable, along with room and board. Shortly after applying to the program, I received not only an acceptance letter for the program, but also one from the Verrazano School informing me that I had received a scholarship.

I decided to study at the IPAG Business School campus in Nice since I have already been to Paris. Nice is a beautiful city in the Côte d’Azur region located in the South of France. It is the second most popular city to visit in France right after Paris.  The university I will be studying at is only a fifteen-minute walk from the Mediterranean Sea. I will be living in an off campus apartment with another student from the College of Staten Island, and the apartment is located very close to the school. Nice is also situated between Italy and Spain, which are very easy to travel to. IPAG stands for Institut de Préparation à l’Adminstration Générale - that translates into the Institute for General Administration Preparation.  The University is French but most of the student body is made up of Erasmus or exchange students.  My classes will be taught in English, but I will be taking a French class in a level that is not offered at CSI. I will be taking business courses as well, which will give me insight on the economy from another country’s perspective.  I know that university professors in Europe have a very different style of teaching, so I am anxious about being in a different learning environment.  Although I am nervous, this will be a good experience to prepare me for my future career in international business. 

During these final weeks before I leave for France, I am both excited and nervous.  I am excited because this is an opportunity that I have dreamt of for years and it is finally becoming reality.  I am also nervous because I have never been away from my family and friends for so long.  I have also been preparing for my stay by applying for my student visa, looking for a place to stay, and searching for a flight to book.  Through my study abroad experience, I hope to become more proficient in the French language, understand the culture of France and of other countries, learn more about the global economy, and make lasting memories!