Study abroad years are often seen as a year off from real school: a time to take a break from real work, have parties, and grab a piece of foreign culture while taking some time to travel to neighboring areas. France offers excellent opportunities to do all of these while giving you a leg up for your future personal and professional life. Here’s why:
1. France has a world-class education system. Students from all over the world have been coming to France for their education since the days when Latin was still the main language of education in Europe. Today, France has some of the top public universities in the world conducting top-class research, and the grandes écoles (the business and engineering schools) give professionally oriented training in specific fields that is second to none. In going to your classes you’ll be soaking up some of the best thinking in the world.
2. Take your network global. France is one of the world centers for foreign students: over 260,000 international students are enrolled in French higher education institutions (11% of all students in France are foreign), and France is home to thousands of foreign businesses, particularly in Paris. In France you’ll have the opportunity to connect with others from around the world, giving you huge travel, professional, and cultural opportunities.
3. France has an excellent student life. Paris, Rennes, Nantes, Lille, and Bordeaux are each major cities that have a large student population, with a large and varied lifestyle. While you’ll be spoilt for choice when looking for a bar, café, or nightclub to pass the time with your friends, each city offers a unique cultural experience that will broaden your horizons during the day.
4. Traveling is super-easy. France has an excellent rail and airway system that will whisk you to wherever you want: The TGV or high speed rail system radiates out from Paris and rarely takes more than three hours for most journeys within France, and then all over Europe, and its two main airports serve destinations all around the world.
5. You’ll never eat so good. France is known for its cuisine, and French food doesn’t mean tiny portions that cost a lot. Real French cuisine is rich in dairy, meat, and vegetables that are bought at the market. And in case French food isn’t your thing, successive waves of immigration have brought their own culinary traditions, so if you get a craving of Chinese, chances are you’ll find a Chinese restaurant near you.
6. Tuition is cheap cheap cheap, and the courses are shorter. Just in case one year abroad isn’t enough for you, you can sign up and study for an actual French licence (aka bachelor’s). It only takes three years and tuition averages around 300€ per year. So work hard at your French, and you could save yourself some serious cash.
7. Become fluent in French. Let’s face it, the best way to improve your French is to hop a plane and speak it with the natives. After six months of speaking French with your classmates, friends, and neighbors, you’ll be amazed at how you well can speak it. And for those days when you’re homesick and need some English (or German, or Chinese), chances are there’s someone around from your home country that you can talk to.
France offers endless opportunities for you to make the most of your study abroad in the way you want to: big cities, little villages nestled in mountains, towns that sprawl on the beach. However you want to spend your time here, it’s available in France: theatre, cinema, sports, museums, travels are all over in France.
Have you or are you already studying in France? What were your reasons for coming, and what did you enjoy most? Let us know in the comments.
