Study Abroad and Domestic Study Away

I am Data Science and Finance double major and French minor studying abroad at the Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon in France. I have decided to study abroad with ISEP since leaving the familiar behind and plunging into the unknown excites me; it helps me learn about the world in a way books can never reveal. I am sincerely honored to have been selected as the recipient of the ISEP French and German Language Annette Kade Fund Scholarship. Thank you for your generosity, which has allowed me to follow my dreams and reach my goals in my career path, and as cliché as it sounds to have the life-changing opportunity to study in France.

I chose France for a few reasons: to improve my French, for its iconic landmarks and of course the famed gastronomical traditions. Contrary to what I have been told by the majority of my friends and professors there are quite a lot of French people who speak English and are willing to help with directions. At the same time my ability to speak French not only facilitated my stay in a foreign country but also allowed me to experience the rich culture from much closer perspective. I believe that the patterns of our language abilities dictate the nature of our experience.

I am very lucky to have ended up in Lyon, since it is a perfect university city for foreign students. It is smaller than Paris, but is only 2 hours away by train from it and from many European hotspots. Lyon is cosmopolitan, affordable and vibrant, there is always something you can find to do in the city. Luckily the weather is also very comfortable, which was important factor for me since I was in France for Fall semester and was able to enjoy four distinct seasons and no extreme conditions.

Before leaving the US and when I first arrived in France, I was terrified of taking courses in French and finding my way around in general. Turns out Lyonnais people are very friendly. Furthermore, my university staff and especially my class mates always tried to help me settle in, gave me tours around the campus and adjusted their French for me to understand and improve.

The French summer course I took helped me not only to prepare for the French taught university classes but also to make friends with students from all over the world also studying abroad in France. That is when we started travelling, sightseeing, partying, wine tasting and etc. or as we called it “Living the French life”.

I am immensely thankful that I had the chance to live and study abroad and experience the beautiful French lifestyle. I would like to also thank the Global Engagement Office for their support and guidance throughout my program, it wouldn’t have been this easy without your direction. My study abroad at INSA Lyon allowed me to immerse myself in unfamiliar culture to gain a deeper understanding of myself and those around me. I got the privilege to strengthen my relationship with the language and culture by going “behind the scenes”.

Eiffel Tower at night:

Trip to Montpellier with new friends: