William Welch, International Relations student in Paris

Living in France was a dream of mine for almost ten years, so when the opportunity to study in Paris presented itself I knew I could not pass it up.

The feeling of arriving in a new country with just the address of a youth hostel and ten months ahead of me was unlike any other. My program operated by putting new students up in a hostel for the first two weeks, giving us enough time to find an apartment independently, tour and enroll in one of the member universities of their consortium, and improve our language skills through an intensive language course. This was also was a time to meet peers who would soon become close friends. I decided to enroll at the prestigious Université Paris 1- Pantheon Sorbonne.  As a student of International Relations, my coursework included Comparative Politics, Representative Political Systems, and International Law.

It was a challenging year, but I learned so much and made connections with professors and peers that I will maintain for years to come. In December I will graduate from Florida International University and it's my hope to return to France immediately following to continue my education. Living in Paris was one of the most transformative years of my life, and I urge anyone considering a semester or year abroad to put France at the top of your list.