What I Wish I Knew Before Embarking on a 宝博体育 Semester in 巴黎, 法国
你好! 我叫艾拉，我现在在 东航卡帕学习+宝博体育项目 and I can’t wait to share some of the tips and advice I wish I knew before arriving. 在选择留学城市时, 有很多选择, 但我强烈建议你考虑一下 巴黎. 从 博物馆 食物, there are truly so many things to experience in the city and I cannot recommend it enough; even if your time here is brief, 巴黎 is a vibrant and amazing city that has so much to offer.
这是在卢浮宫外拍摄的照片, 有一件事我没有意识到，那就是这个博物馆有多大, 真正的标志性遗址!
1. 公共交通和地铁
在巴黎这样的新城市, 使用公共交通工具, 包括地铁, 公共汽车, 和超级, 是很常见的. Getting a monthly or daily Metro pass provides easy city access. 然而, 站着没有地方坐是很常见的, but so far it hasn’t been too challenging and has allowed me to see different areas of the city. 例如, there are multiple stations around Le Louvre which makes it very easy to stop by and appreciate all the architecture of the museum! 另外, something I didn’t know is that the Metro isn’t 24/7 so on the weekdays it currently operates from 5:30am to 1:15am and on weekends it runs till 2:15am. 但, there are Ubers readily available and they are very popular and (generally) aren’t that expensive.
这张照片是晚上在卢浮宫拍的! The museum is truly so beautiful and it’s a must-see when coming to 巴黎!
2. “你好”效应与普通礼仪
在到达之前, I had some knowledge of communicating in French stores and cafés, 但也有一些潜规则. 在法国，说"你好" upon entering shows respect and implies a level of respect for the language and the historical roots it has. Even at a counter, it's essential to greet before ordering. This not only enhances service but also minimizes the perception of rudeness or insensitivity associated with direct ordering, 这在美国很常见. 另外, 人们欣赏说法语的努力, 即使它不完美, 感谢你努力说英语.
3. 咖啡馆和餐厅礼仪
Upon my arrival, I wasn't sure what to expect from French cafés. Not all places are conducive to work; some are more for meetings than workspaces. Cafés vary, and while some are casual with students working, others are sit-down restaurants. 在城市里, there are famous spots like Café de Flore and Angelina’s but there are also many local spots that can serve more authentic French cuisine as well as the typical hot chocolate or coffee. By coming to 巴黎 you can truly “see” the city through the cuisine and it’s been exciting to try different foods around the city, 无论是法国菜还是寿司, there are truly so many options and you really can’t go wrong!
在这张照片中, 你可以在Pierre hermore面包店看到马卡龙, 我试了几个，味道非常好, 我强烈建议大家去看看!
Here you can see a table at Café de Flore which has amazing hot chocolate and many other brunch options!
4. 货币与付款
Before coming here I didn’t know what it would be like to pay with cash versus card but since being here I have been pleasantly surprised by how easy it is to take out cash or pay by ApplePay and other online applications. 例如, 出去吃饭的时候, it is very common for the server to come by with a handheld scanner where you can easily split the bill and pay with your phone or card. 到目前为止, this has been the main way I’ve paid while being here and only a handful of times have I used cash. 另外, there are ATMs on most streets and it’s very easy to take out cash with a minimal additional charge to convert from US dollars to euros. One piece of advice I would give is to just remember that the euro’s value is currently less than the dollar so you may be charged more than the listed price of the item: for example, 目前1欧元等于1美元.08年(美元).
5. 生活方式和到达后会发生什么
在到达之前 abroad, I was uncertain about what to expect. Feeling nervous is normal, but you'll quickly adjust to your new neighborhood and life in 巴黎. One piece of advice I would give is to first take a trip to a local store like Monoprix for essentials and have fun with it! 我的室友和我喜欢看不同的食物, 床上用品, and even shampoo and conditioner—choose things you like! Enjoy the experience of making your new space feel like home and consider bringing photos or personal items like photographs or a favorite tapestry. You can always buy cheap posters while here but bringing something small will make it easy to settle in.
Here you can see me walking with two other girls from the 东航卡帕 program. This was during our first day and we had just finished having lunch by Centre Pompidou!
整体, studying abroad is a journey and it’s important to be gentle with yourself, 毕竟, it’s not easy to move to a different country and adapt to (possibly) a new language. 虽然我的经历是在巴黎, 我强烈推荐宝博体育, it’s truly a transformative experience and there’s nothing quite like it.
无论如何,