Rosslyn – France

Bonjour tous!

I’ve been back in the United States for about two months now and it almost feels like all of it was a dream. It has been so cool to have a reverse culture shock, I was used to how things were in France, and I didn’t even realize it. The biggest thing was portion sizes, I was struggling so much when my family took me out to eat and my portion was so much larger than I had gotten used to eating. I am most grateful for ice again, it was so interesting to me that Europeans really don’t use ice.

Summer has gone by so fast that I can’t believe it’s almost over. I have been driving everywhere and seeing all of my family. That has been the best thing so far is seeing all of my family, it’s taken some time since everyone is spread out but it’s been the best. They are all so curious about my travels and how many things I did while over in Europe.

I would totally recommend studying abroad to anyone who is interested in other cultures, languages, or just exploring the world. I have changed for the better and I am so grateful for this experience that I have had.

My cousins and I in the Outer Banks!

À bientôt!

Hello, I am now completely done with my classes!

This is so crazy to say because I feel like I just started. Over the semester I took 7 classes that had a focus on French language and culture. In French Universities, there are two styles of class: Contrôle Continu (CC) or Exame Terminale (ET). A CC course has a midterm exam/assignment and a final exam during the last class period. These usually finish up in mid-April but can be done in late March. An ET course usually just has a final exam sometime in May after finishing up the course in late April. Each class can be different so check with the professor when starting your course, just to see which style it is. All of my classes happened to be CC so I was finished last week! Exam week was a lot of studying and hoping for the best. Sometimes exams can overlap each other so it’s important to stay in contact with the coordinator for your department so they can help you out. I was able to get another time to test for one of my exams due to an overlap. I will also say that the professors have been so kind and understanding that French is not my first language. Just make sure to talk with your professors, they’re there to help you!

Claude Monet’s Lilypond

My parents in the garden

Claude Monet’s house

Right before exams, my family was able to visit me for a week! I was so grateful to see them and be able to show them where I have been living and explore with them. First, we saw Claude Monet’s Garden. It was stunning!!! I 100% recommend going here when it first opens for the season. The flowers were gorgeous, the town was cute, and his house had so many of his own paintings just hanging up. The way his house is designed is so beautiful with so many colors and patterns. Then, we drove up to Normandy and we were able to see the beaches from D-Day. It was such a surreal experience to see where the soldiers were bunkered down and where the troops had to storm. After that, we drove to Germany to see where our ancestors lived before coming to the US. It was so cool to see the small village that our family used to live in, the rolling hills were gorgeous. I then went to Disneyland Paris as a last-minute add-on. That was so much fun as well! I stayed all day and there was so much to do. The rides were fun and the food was good. It was really cool seeing the differences between Disneyland Paris and Disneyworld in Florida.

Monet’s path

D-Day monument

Bunker at Omaha Beach

Now that exams are over I’ve been exploring the area around Tours so that I can really soak in the region. I went to my favorite château ever, Château de Chenonceau. It is right over the Cher River, so the house is its own bridge. Also, the gardens were stunning, and it had its own mini village that you could walk through as well. I recommend going when the weather is warm so the plants are in bloom, and you can walk around the grounds more. Then we went to the town of Bourges, this is my favorite city in France! The town is big but small enough that you can walk everywhere. The cathedral is hands down the best one I’ve been to and the town parks are so well taken care of. Every time I go to Bourges I love it so much more, even the people are so kind. Next, we went to Château de Villandry. This château is known for its gardens that were designed after Versailles. I loved walking around the gardens and seeing the cool designs. It was also cool that in the 20^th century an American woman lived there and designed a lot of the gardens. Today, her descendants still own the château. The very next day, we had to go to the Palace of Versailles and see where the inspiration came from! I loved the Palace of Versailles; it was so grand that I don’t think I’ve ever felt so small. Just the size of the water features was huge and there was so much to see.

Our ancestral town in Germany

Disneyland Paris Castle

Disneyland Paris

Now I am so excited to finish off my experience with a South of France trip! My friends and I wanted to make sure that we visited all of France before we left. It’s a 12-day trip through the South of France and a little of the Southeastern part. Before I go, I am trying to pack up some stuff so that when I get back, I am ready to go home! The finishing-up process is relatively straightforward, the university sends emails, so you have a checklist. Once I’m back I only have a few more days in Tours before I go back home. I am so excited to go back home and see all of my family and friends. But first, it’s time to explore the South of France!

Palace of Versailles

Château de Villandry

Bourges

Bourges Cathedral

Château de Chenonceau

Train station in Bourges

-Roz

March 13, 2024

Hello! It has almost been 3 months since I arrived in France. It is so crazy to think that I am already almost done. I just got done with my Spring Break and midterms, so my classes are gearing up for final exams! My midterms were so different than back at ECU. It almost feels like traveling back in time, everything is done on paper and teachers barely use ‘celene’ (it’s like canvas but you have to enroll yourself in classes). I am trying to put the study in study abroad by making sure that I am prepped for class and studying a little bit every day. Also, we are starting to have warmer days (by that I mean the 50s and low 60s of Fahrenheit), still not a lot of Sun like I am used to but that good weather is coming!

My friends and I at Château Macaroon Azay le-Rideau

Eiffel Tower at night

My first French Macaroon

Since my last blog post, I have been to Bordeaux, Spain, Paris, and Italy! Each trip was so much fun, I got to explore and see so many different cities. My friends and I love to try new foods, drinks, and activities when we visit somewhere. In Spain, I was able to try authentic Paella and walk along a beach. In Italy, I got to see the Colosseum, Pompeii (it’s free for women on International Women’s Day), and so many sights in between. Visiting the Vatican City was so surreal, the amount of history and art that they have accumulated is just crazy. I spent 3 ½ hours in the Vatican Museum/Sistine Chapel and I still only saw half of the art. Traveling through Europe is just like traveling between US states most of the time, I have only had to do passport control once between Italy and France.

Fountain in Bordeaux

My friend and I at the hostel in Bordeaux!

Me in a château fireplace

As my time is halfway through, I’ve been planning trips with my friends to go on and dealing with a bit of homesickness at the same time. I need a McDonald’s frozen Coke right now, that is first on the list of things I do when I get back! If I listen to country music, it can either help me or make me feel even more homesick. I would say that through this experience, I have become so grateful for my life in the United States and my support system. Studying abroad helps you put your life into perspective and see what you are doing, right or wrong. I have been planning out my next semester, which is so soon it’s crazy, and it has been so easy to talk with my advisor. I totally recommend meeting with your advisor at least once every semester to make sure you are on the right track, it’s so helpful. I looked forward to having my family come to visit me in a couple of weeks!

Me in Barcelona

My Paella dish

Rome Colosseum

I finish my courses and exams the week of April 15^th! That feels so soon, just yesterday we started. I plan to travel around a little bit before my flight back. I am not sure where I am going but I am happy to have a little extra time with my exchange friends before we all go back home. It is great to have a group of people who also know the struggles and triumphs of studying abroad. I am glad that I took this opportunity, and I am grateful for all of the wonderful people supporting me along the way!

Paintings in the Vatican

Views in Pompeii

A pretty Italian view

-Roz

January 22, 2024

Bonjour! I have officially been in Tours for two weeks, and so much has happened in just these two weeks! First, I left the RDU airport with my dad to catch our layover flight in Iceland. My flight out of RDU did not leave on time causing a bit of stress because we had a 55-minute layover in Iceland. Once we left RDU, we realized that our flight was not going to make up time and we would have 20 minutes to make it to our flight. When we landed in the KEF airport, and Iceland air had already switched our flights to a later plane so that we didn’t have to rush. We still went pretty fast just in case and due to Iceland being in the European Union, we did passport control there. I will say that, that was so much faster than I thought it would be! It was so cold and windy in Iceland and the sun doesn’t rise until 11am so it was just snowy and dark. But we got on our flight and made it to CDG airport, outside of Paris just in time to get my checked bag! Fly Iceland air!!

Iceland Air seat

CDG train station

Gare de Tours

Once we got to CDG airport it was still an hour and a half away from Tours, France. We went down to the train station and bought tickets that would take us directly to Tours. The Gare de Tours (Tours train station) was so gorgeous and bigger than I expected. By the time we got to Tours it was nighttime and a Sunday, so there were not too many options on what to eat. The student housing (called CROUS) is not open on the weekends, so you can only check into your room on the weekdays. When you go to pick up your keys at least make sure that you have most of your things in order. They are very patient and understanding! You will need a French guarantor (VISALE program), renters insurance, civil liability insurance, and completed dossier form. If you don’t have everything you need they can still give you the keys just complete it fast!

Charcuterie Board

View from my room

They put eggs on everything

I had my meeting with the international relations office and discovered that there was a walking tour of Tours for international students that afternoon. It was so cold, but I wanted to meet people, so I decided to go. The best decision ever! It was a beautiful tour around town, and I got to meet so many people from so many backgrounds and countries. Our tour was given in 100% French, so it was amazing to practice my listening skills. After we did our walk, all of us decided to get dinner together to talk more (it was 18 of us). We made a group chat and continued to talk, it was so much fun learning about other people’s experiences and backgrounds. We continued to all hang out and meet up, even for the exchange student meeting on that Friday. Different speakers came to talk to us about different clubs and programs, there are so many things that just the school offers!

Caramel pudding dessert

Tacos with friends!

Tours Cathedral

Next, the first week of classes! Now this was majorly confusing because you have to email your coordinator to get your schedule. It is not a set schedule, just a list of times that each class has for you to pick from (this can get confusing). The first three weeks of classes is for us to try them out and see if they’re right for us. For example, I thought I signed up for a French grammar class but when I showed up it was English grammar! I did learn that the singular form of lice is louse though, so very interesting. If you need to change around classes that’s okay, just talk with your Tours coordinator and with ECU. They are there to help! Overall, the classes are less homework based and more study based. That is very different from what I am used to, so it is weird not having direct and clear homework. I do not have classes on Fridays and only one class on Thursday, so I am able to have long weekends.

Tours Cathedral

Tours Chateau Exhibit

With friends

One of the friends I made actually happened to have her birthday our first weekend all together. So we decided to sign up for the YEPS program (free/reduced train tickets for students in France on the weekends) and travel to Amboise! This is the home of Leonardo da Vinci’s house that you can walk through and it is only a half hour by train combined with a half hour walk. The train ride there was only 2 euros and the train ride back was free! It was so gorgeous being able to see where such a historic figure lived and created. I definitely recommend the city of Amboise and Leonardo da Vinci’s house. This upcoming week is my second week of classes and a planned chateau visit through the University of Tours International Office (10 euros for transportation and chateau ticket)! Tours is a beautiful place and a great location.

More to come!

-Rosslyn

City of Amboise

Leonardo da Vinci’s house

Da Vinci’s workstation

Da Vinci’s Sketchbook

Meal in Amboise

January 4, 2024

Hello, my name is Rosslyn and I am currently a sophomore at ECU! I am studying International Business with a minor in French. I will attend the University of Tours in France about two hours Southwest of Paris. I am very excited to study French and learn as much as I can during my semester abroad.

Currently, I have never left the country before and this will be my first time. I was kind of nervous at first but as it gets closer, I am getting more excited to go. There are many steps in order to study abroad, especially in France. First, you have to apply through ECU then you have to apply through the University of Tours. Next, you have to apply for a student visa in Atlanta. Lastly, you have to make sure that your housing is taken care of and setting up your classes. I found that even though they were challenging, it just made me want to go more.

I am signed up to take French language learning courses that will go towards my French minor. I chose this program because it was very good for French language immersion. It has been my dream to study abroad in France since I was 12 years old. So I am very excited that I get to go and experience France as a student.

I will be leaving in the next few days to fly to France so I am trying to pack all of the essentials. I decided that I will be packing all of my stuff in one checked bag and one carry-on bag for 4 ½ months. I chose to fly over with Iceland Air so there are all these cool menu options like fish sandwiches and reindeer. I don’t know if I could eat reindeer, but I’ve been told that it tastes like sausage.

Lately, I have been running around trying to say goodbye to friends and family before I go. They are sad to see me go, but excited for all of the stories and gifts I will bring back! I’ll update y’all once I make it to France and go through the welcome week.

–Rosslyn Koch