Jessica Parsons
Degree: BBA, 4th year
Which city/country did you go to? Poitiers, France
Where did you live when you studied abroad? Female residence
What was the hardest thing when you arrived in France? There was no internet for a week in my residence, so connecting with family and friends to let them know I had arrived was difficult.
What was the easiest thing when you arrived in France? Finding my apartment and touring the city. There was a great group of students at the school that met you at the train station, brought you to your apartment and showed you around the city the next day.
What did you find different about studying in a French University? The class schedule was the most different thing about the university. Instead of three hours a week on 5 subjects, it was 8 hour days, and 5 days for each subject. You may start a class in January and go to class two days straight and then not finish the other 3 classes until March.
Best things about Poitiers, France? The best things would definitely be the food! Bakeries were everywhere and the bread was delicious. I also loved the night life; clubs were open until 6am.
What do you find most interesting about Poitiers, France? I found the business hours interesting in the city. The restaurants would close in the middle of the day and there wasn’t anything open past 8pm. Very different than Saint John.
Most memorable experience of France? The most memorable experience I had in my country would be the trip to the Palace of Versailles. We rented three vehicles and I drove one of them to the castles. It was a full day trip and so much fun! We got lost twice and had a few funny things happen on the road trip (let's just say driving in France is so different than driving in Canada).
What surprised you most about France? I was surprised at how many people speak English! I was also surprised at how different the French they speak there is from Canadian French.
Food you miss the most and could not get in France? I missed peanut butter! Their equivalent of peanut butter is Nutella, and it’s on everything.
What did you miss about Canada when you studied abroad? I missed my friends and family, but that was to be expected when traveling anywhere.
What do you like most about studying abroad? Definitely, 100% the thing I liked most was meeting other students. You already share a major thing in common with the exchange students- that you were independent and ambitious enough to take this opportunity and make the best of it. Since I’ve been back in Canada, I’ve been planning trips to visit many different countries to see my friends and I’m so excited to see more of the world.
How many other countries did you visit when you were studying abroad? I visited 8 other countries and loved the experience of learning so many valuable cultural experiences.
What are your future plans? I plan on graduating in May 2013 and then finding a job that will allow me to do some traveling!
Do you have any advice to future students, who may wish to study abroad? JUST DO IT. It might seem like a lot of preparation and hard work to get ready to go, but once you’re there you’ll realize it’s all worth it and you will have a blast!
