Middlebury School in France: Paris

I had a great experience in Paris on the whole. I enjoyed my classes, the close proximity with native French speakers, and the opportunity to immerse myself in a city and country with such a rich history and culture. At times it was hard to find community because of the nature of being in a foreign city, but generally, these moments are compensated by the fact that there is so much to do and discover in Paris.

My experience with Middlebury in Paris was excellent. It is clearly a program that knows what it is doing and how to effectively run an abroad program, through academics and student support. There was a wide array of people working at the Middlebury center, each of whom I felt I could go to with different concerns, and all of whom were deeply connected to many resources around the city. There were definitely moments of crisis and anxiety, but we were given the proper resources most of the time to deal with the issues.

In a word, Paris was unforgettable. I learned to live in a city by myself, I learned to get lost, I learned to navigate challenging social situations, I learned how to live outside my comfort zone. Whether it was the improvement in my language skills, my newfound confidence in making friends, or all the museums, restaurants, and places that I got to see, Study Abroad was one of the best things I have ever done.