While most students arrived on campus and settled into their dorms in August, fifteen of Asbury’s returning students hopped on flights from all across the country and headed to Paris for a semester abroad.
Asbury’s Paris Semester first launched in the fall of 2014 and has been continuing since. The Semester abroad offers the equivalent of a full-time student’s course load with the addition of being immersed in Parisian culture for 12 weeks.
The Paris semester presents a unique opportunity to take Asbury’s Cross-Cultural Engagement requirement to another level. While most of the other travel opportunities are a couple of weeks in length, spending an entire semester in Paris allows for an exceptionally deep understanding of French culture over an extended period of time.
For French major and junior Eden Wilson, this semester abroad was incredibly appealing, and the daily life spent in this new setting is something that she is looking forward to.
“I am most excited to be doing life in Paris! It seems like the obvious answer but it really brings me so much joy to walk to class and pass French bakeries and metro stops, hear local conversations and be surrounded by Parisians living their day-to-day life,” Wilson said.
The Paris semester isn’t just for French majors or students pursuing a degree in Intercultural Studies. Natalie Hill, a Biology major, believes that this opportunity will help her to have a nice break from the rigorous course schedule she typically participates in as a STEM major.
“As a science major, I feel like my semester abroad will help me more fully round out my education experience. I will not be taking any science classes in Paris, but I’m instead fulfilling my art, language and history credits all at once,” said Hill.
The chance to spend a semester abroad also helps prepare students for life after college, especially if that life involves travel overseas or a significant amount of time spent in another country.
“I would love to one day move overseas and this is such a great foundational experience! I think that being in Paris is giving me the opportunity to figure out life as an adult outside of the United States,” said Wilson. “I’m learning how to use French public transportation, how to go grocery shopping and all the other little things that are different cultural norms.”
Along with the excitement and newness associated with experiencing life in a different culture comes a new set of challenges.
“I think this semester will challenge me to step outside of my comfort zone and do things I wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to do. I am starting small by ordering food from a French restaurant completely in French!” Hill said.
Being immersed in the culture of Paris, the challenges and delights of spending three months abroad and the long-lasting benefits of cross-cultural engagement are all reasons why this is truly an incredible opportunity.
The Paris Semester will continue to be a once-in-a-lifetime study abroad experience as long as it is offered, and students are highly encouraged to apply.
“Although it has only been a week, I have accumulated various new experiences that will ultimately change me for the better,” junior Kelcie Gremillion says. “Traveling is not always easy and this semester is a unique opportunity to experience life as a student in one of the greatest cities in the world.”