As my time abroad comes to an end, I wanted to reflect on some of the most important things the experience has taught me.
After studying and living in Paris and traveling around Europe for the past four months, I’ve realized that one of the most important things is making an effort to get outside of your comfort zone in all aspects of the experience. Studying abroad alone can be an experience outside one’s comfort zone, however once I got here I noticed that I was faced with opportunities to push myself even further outside my comfort zone every day and after being here I can confidently say I am so glad I took them.
One of the main things I was faced with as soon as I got abroad was speaking the language; this was really uncomfortable at first as I didn’t feel confident in my skills and I wasn’t used to the way Parisians spoke in everyday life. However, I pushed myself to speak the language as much as possible and not revert to English whenever I got uncomfortable which really paid off because I am much more confident in my speaking skills now and it helped me learn and improve.
Another way I stepped out of my comfort zone was with classes. Sciences Po offers classes taught in both French and English, so I decided to take two courses in French, even though I knew it may be more of a challenge. After completing these courses, I am so glad I ended up taking them because I was able to be in class with mostly native French students as well as really improve my French listening comprehension. Another major thing was just being completely open to new experiences like meeting new people, traveling to places I may not have initially thought of, trying new foods, and the list goes on and on.
So, the advice I would give to anyone going abroad is, if there’s something you’re thinking about that you want to do but may be hesitant because it seems challenging or a little uncomfortable, do it! Talk to the new people in your classes, take the trips to new places, take the classes, speak the language, whatever it is because it’s a once in a lifetime experience and opportunity and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and trying new things will make it that much more valuable and fun!
Johana Rollins
GW Paris- Sciences Po
Spring 2023
Columbian College of Arts and Sciences
Environmental Studies