Good coffee, fresh croissants and plenty of art and culture. My semester abroad in Paris was an unforgettable experience.
Located on the Seine River, Paris is one of the most densely populated cities in Europe and one of the most visited cities in the world. Knowing this, it was not easy to decide to spend a semester abroad in Paris in the midst of a pandemic. But nevertheless, I spent my semester studying abroad at the American Business School (ABS) in Paris, and it was the right decision.
Paris City Life
Paris is a gorgeous city, especially in the spring when all the flowers in the numerous little parks come to life and the days get longer and warmer as time passes. Therefore, I recommend doing your semester abroad in the spring. Of course, in the beginning I was concerned about how the Corona situation would turn out locally. Fortunately, it proved to be relatively relaxed, and I also quickly got used to wearing a mask all the time in the streets.
I found my accommodation through Airbnb. This was very centrally located in the tenth Arrondissement and only a 15-minute walk from the university. The city center, where sights such as Notre Dame can be found, I could reach on foot from my accommodation in 30 minutes, by metro even in just ten minutes. The metro is generally very advantageous for getting around quickly and easily within Paris.
Alternating between face-to-face and online lectures
Due to the Corona situation, ABS pursued a rotating system that allowed students to study every other week in face-to-face classes. This principle worked well and allowed me to visit the university for the full experience of studying abroad. The lectures started at the beginning of February and went until mid-May. Unfortunately, from the end of March, the restrictions in Paris were tightened again, so that ABS switched to 100% online lectures. This remained the case until the end of my semester abroad. This system had already been tried and tested and worked very well. The courses I attended - mostly in marketing and communication - were very practice-oriented and included a lot of group work and presentations. This allowed me to gain intercultural experience and learn about other ways of working and thinking. All in all, I really enjoyed the classes and the course content, not least because of the friendly lecturers.
Picnic in your free time
Besides the university, there was enough time to discover Paris. Initially, due to the Corona situation, museums and other tourist attractions were closed. However, this was hardly noticeable since Paris in itself is already a huge museum. Good weather invited numerous explorations of the beautiful Parisian streets and sights. I spent free afternoons picnicking with friends in parks or at the Eiffel Tower. What I found particularly positive was that Paris was not overcrowded with tourists at this time, as it usually is. At the end of the semester, I had the opportunity to visit the Louvre and other museums, Versailles Palace and of course the good restaurants and cafes and to make the most of my stay abroad.
Conclusion
All in all, Paris was a real enrichment for me, both academically and personally. I met great people and made friends for life. Planning abroad this semester was especially challenging and showed that you have to be very flexible these days. Fortunately, accadis, ABS, and my dual partner company CSL Behring provided excellent support for my semester abroad, so I didn't have to miss out on this valuable experience. Although the circumstances were exceptional, I wouldn't have wanted to spend the semester any other way.
Lisa Mueller, Business Communication Management 2021