The City of Lights. Home to the Eiffel Tower, the Moulin Rouge, Sacre-Coeur, Notre Dame, and the list goes on. How could a student studying abroad survive seeing all the sites and dealing with the Parisians? Here’s a short list of what I learned about Paris while on the Forum-Nexus study abroad experience!
1. Learn the basics of the language. Locals are more willing to help if you show an earnest interest in the language and try to communicate. Regardless of how they look at you or the tone of their voice, remember to be polite and courteous. Just as we have stereotypes of the French, they have their own views of Americans.
2. Travel in smaller groups. Three to four people are the perfect size when exploring the city. Not only does it help with decision-making, it helps fit everyone into a small corner café. Some faux-pas to remember: try not asking for to-go boxes or splitting the check. Also, coffees are supposed to be enjoyed while sitting down – not having it to-go like Starbucks.
3. Have a general sense of where things are. It is always handy to have a map of the city and metro stations available to help you navigate the city to and from all the points of interest. It also makes you look good in front of all your friends when you know where you’re going – walking with confidence.
4. There are many gems in the city and quite impossible to do in the limited time that we had. As with all the other cities, plan out ahead of time where you want to go and what you want to see. Even having a general sense of the city is better than none at all.
By: Andrew Williams, Forum-Nexus 2014 alumnus
