Alumni Interview with Clara Prado

What inspired you to travel abroad?

I’ve always wanted to go abroad. My favorite book in childhood had a character that said: 

I want to live what I’m tired of seeing in photos.

I took that as a piece of advice. I grew up in a middle-class family in Brazil, it meant that I had a great education and access to language courses, something I was very good at. We never struggled but we also never had the conditions to go abroad while I was growing up. I remember asking for trips instead of Christmas gifts. My mom would do her best. We’ve traveled all of Brazil, but never outside the country.

Why did you choose to attend AUP?

The American University of Paris saw my potential and offered me a great scholarship with the possibility of doubling my major. So I decided to move to France to complete my undergraduate degree and learn French as a plus. It was a complete change from my sunny life but I don’t regret it for a single moment. Europe changed my life, it changed my perspective of the world and enabled me to know several cultures since traveling is Farrelly easy around Europe.

What was your favorite part about Paris?

The freedom. In Paris, I felt that the whole world was mine. Public transportation in France, in Europe in general, is very good. I went wherever I wanted at whatever time. I felt free as a bird. I was able to visit more than 15 countries in the time I spent there. Europe turned me into a real-world citizen.

France increased my general culture, allowed me to experience the Arts. Every time I went to a jazz bar or attended a dinner party was an incredible experience. I loved that the food tasted so good and fresh. I became an expert in cheese and wine, which I assume will be very helpful and entertaining during my adult life.

What made your experience abroad extraordinary?

My friends, they made every second memorable. In Europe, people come and go faster than you expect, and I had several short-time friends that have a place in my heart. But I am most thankful for my dorm friends. It was my first time living in a dorm. There I got to experience how easy those environments make that you can make friends. I didn't realize how they had impacted my life until my birthday came. They gifted me a personalized photo album of us. We were a group of almost 10 people and they wrote every single joke we have made together in the album. This album is and will always be one of my most precious possessions.

What did you enjoy doing in your free time abroad?

I have the habit of going to the movie theater regularly, at least one a week. Through AUP I found an organization that screens French movies with English subtitles. So I became an active member of that. I learned a lot about French culture from those movie sessions.

I also should mention traveling. France is in the heart of Europe so traveling is easy. I would go abroad at least twice a semester to experience Europe. I attended Octoberfest, visited east Europe, grabbed drinks in Italy, ate fish and chips in London, and so on. The most meaningful trip I did while in Europe was a 37-day hike in northern Spain known as the Camino de Santiago.

What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it?

I lived in a dormitory that had no connection with AUP. I was placed in the College Neerlandais inside of the Cite Universitaire campus that is a french dormitory subsidized by the government. I made a lot of friends, especially dutch friends during my stay there. During my first semester I was placed in a shared room and later I was upgraded to a single room, where I stayed for another year.

The building had a great study area and music rooms for practicing piano. It was great. We could come and go as we pleased and even bring guests if we let the reception aware of it a day before.

Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like.

I would wake up around 7 AM, get ready really fast, grab something to eat on the way, and go take the public transportation to school. It usually would take me about an hour to get to school. So let's say that I read a lot of books while living in Paris. I usually had two classes in the morning, the first starting at 9 AM.

Later I would go buy lunch at a local salad bar or at the local bakery. I would eat it at school on the 4th floor, where people hang out. In the afternoon either I would study or attend another class. I’d be done with school around 4 PM. I would head back home after running some errands. Back at the dorm I would cook dinner with my dorm friends and stay hanging out with them until bedtime. We were really bad at ending our conversations so we usually stayed up until late playing games.

What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time in France?

I would have been more open at first. I was very scared of the language barrier and shy at first. It took me a while to adjust and open myself to others. I had colleagues at AUP but only a few friends. I could have allowed myself to experience more. I also could have better used AUP’s resources, such as clubs and social activities. I was very comfortable with my friends at the dorm and my Brazilian friends from other French universities that thinking back I wasn’t very present at my university’s social scene.

What is one thing every future student should know about AUP before their program begins?

For anyone with that intention of completing a degree abroad, not necessarily at AUP, I would say go ask for help. Talk to as many people as you can. 

Ask questions to experts and inform yourself about what is best and viable for you. 

Dream big but make sure that your dream fits into your wallet, there’s nothing more disappointing than not accomplishing a dream because you can’t monetarily afford it. Accept that things change, life circumstances change and so should your plans, do the best to adapt.

How did the local program staff support you throughout your program?

AUP has a specific department designed for helping students in their general life things. Truly I didn’t think they went the extra mile to help students but if you wanted some information or struggled with the language to terminate a phone contract or something of that sort they would help. 

AUP’s  health insurance is really good and the health office people are very good at answering emails. I would never hesitate to just send them random questions. Also, the housing office has great partnerships with local landlords offering students easier and less bureaucratic ways to get an independent apartment. I used it for my last semester after my dorm contract couldn't get extended.

Lastly, Ondina, the woman from the immigration office, is the sweetest of all. She does all the French bureaucracy for AUP students. I was incredibly thankful for having her because I saw how my friends from other universities struggled doing their immigration by themselves.

Would you recommend AUP to others? Why?

I totally would recommend AUP. The school was great for my undergraduate development. I have attended big mass hall classes at my previous university and felt quite shy to express my thoughts in front of everyone. If you are like me AUP is perfect for you. The small size classes and the importance they put on creating a relationship with your professor is perfect for making students feel at ease. They make you comfortable to participate and express your opinions during class with no judgment.

What do you feel is the biggest benefit of traveling abroad?

I think that the biggest benefit of traveling is discovering that people are the same everywhere you go. That above all different cultures, languages, and customs people are humans. To understand that we feel the same things, do the same things, and sometimes even have similar habits to someone we just met from another part of the globe is very surprising. It makes you realize that there’s no them, there’s only us. Comprehending this is the best thing traveling can teach you.

Now that you're home, how has your time abroad impacted your life?

Actually I'm not home. I kept on living abroad after the program. I am now working in the Philippines. I can say that my time abroad made me who I am. After 4 years abroad and living in different countries, including this program in France, I realized that I belong everywhere. 

There’s not a single place where I feel that I couldn't create a life in. 

During those 4 years I detached from my national culture and created my personal set of values as a citizen of the world. In all, it changed my goals and my expectations for life.

What does meaningful travel mean to you?

Meaningful travel means taking time to build yourself. It means trying to understand the circumstances that made people who they are and how their culture and customs impacted their goals and character building. It also means reflecting upon yourself, trying to understand how you have been impacted by the circumstances around you and wonder what could have been different if you were born and raised in a different place. It's understanding that nationalities are delusional and just depend on luck.