Category: France

A very-needed fall break took place at Sciences Po this past week and it was absolutely wonderful. The academic calendar at Sciences Po is a bit different than that at Drexel. Besides the difference in quarter and semester calendar, Sciences Po students receive a weeklong fall break a week after midterms, as well as, a ...

The weather in Reims is not at all what I had expected. I was born in Lithuania, which is a small country located in Eastern Europe. The weather in Lithuania is rather cold, especially in the winter. As a result, as I was originally packing for France, my parents warned me about how cold Europe ...

Midterms were held this past weekend at Sciences Po. One of the biggest differences is that midterms for core courses are not held during class time, but rather on a Friday and Saturday in October. The first year students take mid terms at an off-campus facility a few minutes from campus, while the second year ...

Even though Reims is a small city, it has a pretty decent nightlife. Place d’Erlon is filled with bars, some of which are named after famous people who were not French, like Ernest Hemingway and James Joyce. Some of the bigger bars have miniature dance floors where old bearded men play old, fun American songs ...

This week, I was finally inaugurated as a Sciences Po student as I had my first presentation of the semester. I think I wrote about this a few weeks earlier, but presentations are an integral part of the Sciences Po method. Each class requires presentations that are at least ten minutes long. In addition, most ...

Throughout my study abroad experience, I feel the constant need to avoid falling into a dark pit where English is the only spoken language. At a school where all classes are taught in English and some international students speak English, but not French. Therefore, it’s important to speak as much French as possible outside of ...

I cannot believe that I’ve already been living in Reims, France for a month. As my fellow Drexel students begin their fall quarter, I am already preparing presentations and soon will be studying for midterms. As facing cultural differences is a given when living in a different country, below I will outline some major differences ...

Last weekend, I was able to travel to Paris. I’ve wanted to go to Paris ever since I first started studying French when I was 14 and it felt surreal. The city is absolutely magnificent and it is impossible to see it all in two days. I plan on coming back many times and exploring ...

The city of Reims is small, but beautiful. I like the fact that I can walk everywhere, but also have the option of taking a bus. There is also a tramway that goes through the center of the city. The city is filled with parks, beautiful buildings, and champagne houses. The city feels completely safe ...

Last week was my first official week as an exchange student at Sciences Po. The campus is extremely small and so is the student body. I feel like I’ve already met and recognize all of the students. The campus is currently under construction, so it seems as if I cannot escape the Drexel construction curse. ...