Study Abroad

Montpellier, France

I was fortunate in my ability to study abroad in Montpellier for the full 2022-2023 academic year while living with a French host family. This experience enabled me to develop a greater understanding both linguistically and culturally through a variety of experiences in community as well as throughout the places I was able to travel. When living there, I attended Université Paul Valéry. I enrolled in a combination of courses meant for native french-speakers and those meant for second-language learners.

I came into my Freshman year at Clemson University knowing I wanted to study abroad for a full year, partially due to my previous experience living abroad and partially due to my love of French culture. Due to this, I decided to spend my sophomore year in Montpellier to maximize my choices in courses and my overall language development. Prior to leaving for France, my goals were centered mostly around language development and cultural understanding, having been heavily influenced by my experience with Rotary Youth Exchange during highschool and my first year studying French.

I remember leaving for France in vivid detail, from the tearful departure to the first joyous steps... taken into a horrendous storm, after a several hour delay, and being bussed in from Marseille. Nothing could dampen my smile, or my anxiety. I began taking French classes just over one year before I left for France and my language skill was definitely below the others I met on the way there. My host mother, Christiane, came to pick me up and I quickly discovered she spoke only French, a great asset to my language development and a great stress to myself. In the end, I had no reason to worry, we spent each night chatting at the dinner table long past the end of our meal and she became one of my closest confidants, heavily encouraging my engagement with southern french culture.

Being among the first two Clemson students to partake in the program through the University of Minnesota, I found myself reaching out to new people at every opportunity and taking my time in exploring. I had only ever been to Paris before and had naively expected Montpellier to be relatively similar but I found myself discovering a whole different culture and approach to life. The international population of the city allowed me to create incredible relationships with people of all different nationalities and backgrounds.

One aspect of French culture that greatly impacted my experience, and I was relatively underprepared for, was the different social norms regarding work. Due to the completely opposite approach to work or school life balance, I was able to prioritize my own interests and personal projects, such as language development, travel, and experiencing art. The French approach to higher education, a limited number of courses that meet for longer periods of time on fewer occasions, emphasizes allowing students to adjust their study habits to what they need while maintaining a high standard. This led to me travelling, completing an internship, spending time reading for personal gain, and passing countless hours at the ever-changing local history and art exhibits.

This is entirely contradictory to the structure I was used to in American universities, where there is very much an attitude that professors know what you should be spending your time and energy on. As an extremely self-motivated individual, I found this shift in culture to foster the development of personal interests in addition to the development of academic interests. Through dual enrolment with Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier III, I was able to take a combination of classes on current economic questions in the EU, French history, language, cinema, and business, some of which were meant for non-native speakers while others were with enrolled students.

Reflecting on my time in Montpellier, the French approach to work-life balance was a formative aspect of my experience and taught me about broader French culture. The emphasis on the value of an individual's time, the importance of having, and taking, the time to enjoy each aspect of life. I found myself fully experiencing every moment, as it was reflected in many facets of French society and social norms. Though my courses were integral in my education, the extended amounts of time I was able to spend experiencing Montpellier and French culture were almost certainly more important in my overall understanding and engagement with French culture.

The impact of my complex, varied, experience is impossible to entirely put into words. I was introduced to a culture and way of life that I see so much value in, along with forming relationships that have been fundamental in my evolution over the last several years. Living in a walkable, queer-friendly city, with easy access to all types of public amenities including the beach, parks, & museums, encouraged me to readily engage with the available third-places that filled the city. This aspect of easy access allowed me to maximize my time in France and is one of the main reasons I developed the connection to the region that I did.

Reflecting back on my time and experience in Montpellier, I regard it among the most enriching and impactful of my life. The complete immersion allowed me to improve my language level at an exponential rate and to gain a far better understanding of the culture associated with said language. Spending a full year living with a French woman and taking courses fully in French, has given me an enduring love and appreciation that is indescribable.

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