I’ve been in France for a little over a month so I’ve had plenty of time to settle in. Honestly everything has gone smoothly thus far, and I haven’t had any major issues. Coming into this program I certainly had many expectations. Regarding personal expectations, I expected to have plenty of time to travel. Whenever I ask people about their study abroad experiences in Europe, they always say cheap Ryanair flights to random countries were a highlight. Traveling is one of my favorite hobbies, and it’s not something I usually do that often during the school year. Part of why I chose Marseille as my study abroad destination is its proximity to so many cool places in Europe and even Africa. After being here for a while, my expectations have not changed. In fact, the ease of traveling here has surpassed my expectations. So far, a few notable things I’ve done are skiing in the French Alps, camel riding in the Sahara, and exploring the beaches of Portugal. The cheapest flight I’ve taken was only €9 all the way from Morocco to Portugal! I can’t wait to continue traveling and exploring more of the amazing things Europe has to offer. 

In terms of academic expectations, I expected to have an educational experience much different than what I’m used to. It would expose me to new learning styles and the French perspective on business topics. So far I have not been disappointed, and the experience has proven to be even more unique than I was expecting. The school I’m studying at, KEDGE, is one large building located in a beautiful national park called the Calanques, and it feels more like an American high school than a college. There is a single cafeteria-like dining hall and the student population is small, so it seems like everyone knows everyone. The classes are also different because they are all 3 hours and 15 minutes. Fortunately, I only have classes Tuesday through Thursday, so the long classes have been manageable. The classes I’m taking cover many familiar topics but take a French approach which is exactly what I was hoping for. 

Finally, professionally, I expected to expand my network. Having a network of people from around the world will only help me after I graduate and enter the workforce. So far, I have been able to connect with people from around the world as expected, and I will have many more opportunities to do so in the next few months.