Good Things You Will Encounter Your First Week of Studying Abroad:
Now that I’ve written about all the negative stuff that happened, let me talk about some of the bright points in my first week at Paris.
1. Your program directors are pretty damn supportive.
Literally some of the nicest people I’ve met. They’ll practice French with me, they helped me with my luggage and SIM card, they always have tons of advice and recommendations. Devon, Anne-Cecil, Colin, if you guys see this, I love you. Would not have made it through my first week without you. #bekindtoyourself
2. Your roommate is nice (probably)
You can have this too by talking to your roommate before you officially pick them! Find them on FB, insta, wherever (if you can’t find them, maaaaybe don’t pick them). Ask them all the invasive questions: what’s your sleep schedule? Do you clean? What are you looking for in a roommate? What do you want to do while abroad? How much do you party/go out? Then once you’ve arrived and moved in together, set some ground rules about studying time, cleaning, etc. Everything will go much smoother!
3. Other people are in the same boat.
Don’t be afraid to tell people that you are struggling during that first week. You’ll feel better when you see the relief in their eyes as they say, “Oh, me too!” One of my friends here is a girl that I told about my little meltdown on the second day. We bonded over mutual crying and calling our moms :)
4. Taking the metro in Paris is like taking the train just about anywhere except BETTER
It is FASTER, there are less crazies, there are more stations and availability. More cities should be designed like this. Imagine how much better it could be for the environment!
5. You CAN find cheap food!
Check menu prices - most places post their menus outside and you can look at them before you sit down. Don’t be afraid to shop around and find somewhere you like. Make notes of where you can get good sandwiches and such. If you like having a drink and dessert with your panini, the formules are usually a pretty good deal :)
6. Friends are abundant
Go to your abroad office’s orientation meetings and activities! This is the best way to meet other people on your program, and the best part is, they are looking for friends too!
7. You can just...do shit?
Like, you can just go to Notre Dame. Or jump on a train/plane/bus to Amsterdam. Maybe it’s just because it’s my first time to Europe, but it’s hard to wrap my head around sometimes. God I love Paris.
