View of Florence

Author: Avery Besson | Major: International Business Finance | Semester: Fall 2022

For my third blog, I will briefly recap my first post. I’m attending the American Business School of Paris this Fall semester through the International Studies Abroad (ISA) Program. Pursuing a degree in International Business with a concentration in Finance requires a foreign language and a study abroad requirement. I have been learning French from a young age, so I chose it as my language and decided to study in Paris, France. I selected the American Business School of Paris because it is part of Institut de Gestion Social, a non-profit higher education institution composed of 14 schools. This institution has allowed me to meet local students from other colleges that share the campus. While my school aims toward American students, most of my classmates are from Europe, Africa, and Asia. Having numerous international students in my classes has been fascinating because it allows me to adapt to a culturally diverse atmosphere while learning about other countries from first-hand experience.

I am enrolled in International Marketing, Advanced French, International Economics, and Corporate Finance. My classes are more project-focused than test-based, so when assigned to groups, our teachers mix us with students from different countries. I appreciate this learning style because when I work for a company in the future, we will collaborate in teams, and adapting to other people’s working types, especially international students, will be beneficial in the long term. I’ve learned that communicating with students from other countries can be tricky when dealing with language barriers and understanding their viewpoints. However, collaborating to accommodate these differences allows us to grow and learn from each other. My professors vary by course; some are from America, and others are from European or Asian countries. I am learning all of my classes in English, except Advanced French, and though my international professors have accents, I don’t find it challenging to learn. My goals for this semester include becoming fluent in French, submerging in European culture, and being successful in my classes. The American Business School of Paris will allow me to flourish through the courses, students, and resources.

At the beginning of November, our school gave us a whole week off for the autumn break. Some of my classmates and I decided to spend ten days in Italy. We started in Milan, where we could visit the Prada Foundation, Il Duomo, and the famous mall, The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Then we took a train to Florence, where we appreciated the beautiful skyline and learned about the city’s history. We decided to take a cooking class while in Florence and made pasta and tiramisu! Following Florence, we spent a generous amount of time in Rome, where we visited the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and Vatican City! My favorite part about traveling is learning the history and the culture that stems from it. Italy is one of the oldest regions of the world, and it was fascinating to see how many things dating before Christ were still standing!

Studying abroad is a fantastic experience, and I recommend this Paris program at the American Business School of Paris to every student interested in attaining an international education. Whether you are abroad for six weeks to a year, you will make unforgettable memories and grow both in maturity and culturally. I wish I had known before studying abroad that traveling around the EU can be very cheap, especially when the tickets are purchased early. For example, when I was considering traveling to Italy for the break, the tickets were around 50 euros at the beginning of September. I was still determining if I would go, so I waited to buy my tickets until October. By October, the tickets went up to 150 euros round trip. While this was still inexpensive compared to the United States, I recommend buying tickets early when planning to travel abroad!