I am halfway through my semester abroad in Paris, and man has the time flown by! Unlike many of my peers, I have not taken a course in French and I am very new to the language. I was initially very intimidated by this, but there are a lot of people who help me out and who can speak in English when I need help. Something that has helped me out a lot if I ever feel like I "don't belong" in France is the GW-planned trips and meals. Meeting up with Florence and David, our GW Paris coordinator and assistant, always leaves me feeling re-energized (and well-fed), and it's really nice to be a part of our little GW community in Paris.
Luckily my schedule at Dauphine allows for 3 day weekends, so I feel like I have an adequate
amount of time to explore Paris, travel, and relax. With my student visa, I can get into most museums and some attractions for free (the Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, Musée d'Orsay, etc), which is a great perk! Another thing I love about studying in Paris is its central location among other West European countries. I've had the opportunity to see other historical cities in France and I've been able to visit Belgium, the Netherlands, and Spain since I got here! Although traveling can drain the bank account, it is so worth it and you can usually find good travel deals and fun things to do for free. Before the semester is over I hope to visit a couple more countries as well :)
Madison Steskal
Spring 2024
GW Paris - Universite Paris-Dauphine (GW Study Program)
Columbian College of Arts and Science
Communication Major