I wake up every day to the light streaming into my large window at the Fondation des Etats-Unis at the Cit√© Universitaire de Paris (Cité U), where all GW students studying at Sciences Po live. The Cité U campus, which looks like it was plucked straight out of an Ivy League brochure, looks especially beautiful in the fall. It is mid-October, the skies are still blue and the air still pleasantly crisp (which I‚Äôve heard is a miracle for Paris).
After completing my morning routine, I leave my room and ponder where I should have my first meal of the day. The Cité U CROUS (dining hall), where I can get a full plate (steak frites, chicken and rice, merguez and potatoes, falafel and veggies, etc.), side, and dessert for just 3.30 euros? The local cafe that makes creative daily dishes with fresh ingredients? The Tunisian, Korean, or Spanish student houses that have restaurants serving their respective cultural foods? I finally settle for the Sciences Po cafeteria, since I don‚Äôt have much time before class. The words ‚Äúcafeteria‚Äù or ‚Äúresidence dining hall‚Äù always carried a negative connotation for me, but the difference between American and European food is astonishing; ingredients are fresher, there is more flavor, and meals are more balanced. I don't need to eat at a 5-star restaurant to feel like I am making the most of Parisian food; even the CROUS feels gourmet!
After deciding where to eat, I walk across the street to the metro station to make my way to campus. Going from living two blocks from lecture halls to taking a 20 minute metro ride to get to class was a big adjustment for me. However, while it is not as convenient as living at GW, taking the metro to class is a great way to familiarize myself with the metro system and actually allows me to feel more immersed in my new city. I recommend getting a monthly (if you’re staying for 1 semester) or a yearly (if you’re staying the academic year) pass for the metro; a roundtrip ride costs almost $5, while a yearly pass costs $385, averaging out to $1/day. Since you will surely be taking the metro every day to get to class, a monthly or yearly pass is definitely a must-have!
Once I get to campus, I eat my lunch, attend my 1 or 2 classes for the day, and head to the library to work on anything that needs to be done. The schooling system at Sciences Po (and most European universities for that matter) was another big adjustment for me. Instead of little assignments throughout the semester, each class will ask for one group presentation or group paper (40% of your grade), due around mid-October, and one final paper (60% of your grade), due around the end of November. This means you may have weeks of free time, but then weeks of no rest. I recommend writing everything out in a calendar and getting ahead of assignments early. The heavy emphasis on group work can be both challenging and rewarding; on the one hand, I personally feel like I work better alone since I know what works for me and I like to do things the way I like them. But on the other hand, group work has allowed me to meet people from all over the world (since Sciences Po is composed of nearly 50% exchange students) and learn about different cultures, perspectives, and academic styles.
If I could give you advice, it would be to not spend too much time in the library; while excelling in school is very important, that is something you can do at GW. For now, you are in Paris, so make the most of it! I personally feel like I have seen more of my laptop than the beautiful city I should be exploring, and I really hope to change that. The weeks will fly by before you know it!
Justine Recor
Academic Year 2023
GW Paris - Sciences Po Paris (GW Study Program)
Elliott School of International Affairs
International Affairs Major