Hi, my name is Stefanie and I am a junior at College of Charleston. I’m majoring in Computer Information Systems while minoring in Political Science. I am currently studying at Université Catholique de Lille in Lille, France. Although there were several faculties to choose from at the college, I decided to enroll in their Faculté des Lettres & Sciences Humaines so I could take courses for my humanities and political science requirements. I chose to study in Lille because I took French for seven years and always dreamed of living in France. Also, in planning my study abroad, I realized I wanted to live in a place that wasn’t filled with tourists as well as a place where I could really immerse myself in the French culture and language. And so, when looking at the catalogue of exchange programs, I found Lille to be exactly what I was looking for. In addition, I had a friend do an exchange in Lille in the spring and she absolutely loved it. Since most of you have never heard of Lille before, here are a couple things that I have discovered on my own. Lille is a city in the north of France with a population of over 200,000 people, making it larger than Charleston. Lille is also in the center of three major cities, Paris, Brussels, and London, making it an ideal location for travel. It also rains a lot, so you better pack an umbrella, rain jacket, and rain boots, if you ever plan on visiting. And most importantly, speaking French will get you very far whereas speaking English simply won’t. Another reason why I chose to study in Lille, is that I knew absolutely no one going and it is not very well known amongst American students looking to study abroad. Moreover, I wanted this experience to completely throw me out of my comfort zone. So, as I approached my time abroad, I set three specific goals for myself: improve my French, meet lots of people, and travel as much as possible.
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