A tour of the Castillet after my first day of classes

Author: HarLeigh Smith | Major: International and Global Studies

Receiving an email less than forty-eight hours before the application was due is not how I expected my study abroad experience to begin, but I would not have it any other way. I had not originally planned to study abroad over the summer of 2022, but when my French professor emailed the class on February 25th explaining that the application deadline had been extended, I took it as a sign from the universe to take a chance and apply. I did not expect to go due to the fact that the deadlines for scholarships had passed, but I thought the application would be great practice for applying to future study abroad trips. With another nudge from the universe, the application deadline for the Honors Study Abroad Grant was extended, and by June 25, I was on my way to Perpignan.

I have been studying French for three years. I really loved learning the language, but I also knew that I wanted to study abroad at some point to be fully immersed in the language and culture which is exactly what I got when I arrived in Perpignan. Starting classes was a little scary due to the fact that my main professor was from Ukraine and spoke no English. With her not understanding my native language, I had no crutch to fall back on and no choice but to give it my all which is what I think made my trip so unforgettable. On Thursdays and Fridays, I had another professor who spoke a bit of English, so he was able to help at times. My favorite part of these classes was singing French karaoke with the other students in class. I had never done something like that in class before, and it was a really exciting way to learn the language without feeling overwhelmed. Aside from myself and two other UARK students, my class was made up entirely of Ukrainian students meaning that our only way to communicate with each other was in French. The other students were all very kind, and it was an amazing to hear all of their stories and how they came to study in Perpignan. I chose this program because, as an International and Global Studies major, it is important for me to understand and advance my knowledge about cultures around the world. I hope to one day work with The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization whose headquarters are actually located in France. Knowing the French language helps me advance towards that goal! I liked the idea of studying in Perpignan because the city is fairly small but not too small meaning that I would be able to explore many areas not affected by tourism allowing me to learn a lot about the local culture. Coming back to UARK in the fall, I am more excited than ever to attend French class because my time in Perpignan allowed me to gain confidence in speaking the language that I did not have before.

Classes could be stressful at times, but what better way to get rid of the stress than spending some time on the beach? Every day after class, we got to attend many excursions, mainly to several stunning beaches. I will never forget sitting in the sand and watching my classmates play volleyball with new friends we met on the beach! On Sundays, we had excursions to places like Carcassonne and Barcelona. I am incredibly grateful that I got to explore not one but two countries. My host family was wonderful as well! My host mom Eva took Sophie (the other UARK I stayed with) and me to Castelnou for our first weekend with her and her daughter Léa. There are truly no words for the beautiful view from the castle. My favorite art around the city was walls with small poems written on them. One of the biggest things I miss about being in Perpignan was the accessibility of everything within the city. Sophie and I would often walk to the city center which only took 20 minutes, and other times, we could easily catch a bus to take us where we needed to go. This accessibility allowed me to explore the city so much more. When interacting with people in the city, if they spoke English and could tell you were American, they would often respond to your French in English which was at times a bit frustrating due to wanting to practice speaking with locals as much as possible. My life in Perpignan was similar day-to-day. Each weekday morning, Sophie and I would go upstairs to eat breakfast with our host mom before heading to class which lasted from 8:30-12:30. After that, the students in our group would usually gather at the small café on campus and eat lunch while discussing what we learned in our classes that day. From there, we would go on the excursion planned for that day, and after, Sophie and I would walk home to eat dinner with our host family. After dinner, we often spent many hours talking together about the differences between French and American culture. A majority of what I learned culturally on this trip was through spending nights talking with my host mom.

There is a lot I wish I knew before this trip which is mostly due to the fact that I applied so close to the application deadline, so I would recommend starting applications for any study abroad program one may be interested in very early. Having time to prepare academically and mentally for this trip is essential. I look forward to discussing this program with my peers to encourage them to attend this program or to find another program that works best for them. This experience is truly irreplaceable and cannot be recreated in any other environment. I have now been home for a week and a half, and I miss Perpignan but am glad to be home. I would recommend allowing yourself some time after returning to adjust before jumping back into anything. I am grateful that I took a few extra days off of work after returning because I struggled to fall back into my normal sleeping habits, and I was honestly a bit mentally and physically drained. The first thing I did when I arrived back home was turn on the AC after a month of not having it. Perpignan was the experience of a lifetime, and I without a doubt would recommend this program to anyone interested. I am incredibly thankful to Dr. Comfort and Dr. Christiansen for all of their help in leading this program. I also would not have been able to experience this trip without the help of the Study Abroad department and those who awarded me the Honors Study Abroad Grant. I am excited to say that I plan to be back in France very soon!