#scubroncosabroad
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Upon First Arrival
Written by Brant Maxwell, Winter Quarter 2024
Upon first arrival to your abroad placement be sure to take it all in. There is almost always going to be a welcome precession, and a host of people ready to help you with the bookkeeping and administrative tasks that you’ll need. It is in your best interest to take this opportunity to introduce yourself to all those around you! Take it all in and enjoy your new town - your first steps will be something you always remember. For me, it was walking through a Swedish town at 3:00 am. Arriving at my hotel with ½ an hour of sleep and being greeted by a seemingly equally tired doorman with a platter of Swedish cheese and crackers - a classic story I think back on often to this day.
Everyone around you at this point is similar to abroad students who have never been to the city before and are trying to figure out everything just as you! It will surprise you how easy it is to meet new friends and have a community of people to rely on with questions or inquiries about adventures. During the precession or welcome week, be sure to say hello to everyone you can. A simple, “Are you studying abroad too?” can open up the conversation to tons of new opportunities and conversations with students to be able to grow your network of friends and people to reach out to for a night on the town or for a study session.
Make sure to make note of great study spots and stop for an espresso or cup of coffee to see what places you may frequent on an early morning commute that you can go back to. This is actually immensely helpful in getting to know the city. You can get to know your new place of residence through them, understanding perhaps that, “the library is just down the street from my favorite café.” It is great to know these places too as they can become a very easy suggestion for a place to go for making new friends. If you get to know the people working there very well you could get a discount every once and a while too!
Another thing you should try and do is try the local cuisine and get something tasty for lunch. Trying out some new food is another great way to meet people. We all need food and so is an easy way to invite new people you meet out. It is a fun way to learn about the streets and the city as well. When I first arrived in Lund I went straight to the market in the center of the town. There were men eating pickled fish skewered on long sticks walking around the place and I really got to know the town, the energy, the everyday spot, and a great food place. It is not a bad idea to try and find a new place every week. Trying to go from the center of the city to the outskirts of town can be yet another fun way of exploring! However, right when you get to your city, head to the center of town and enjoy yourself some great food. Do not be afraid to help ordering, or to ask others around you if they go to the same university.
Find a great second-hand shop too! This will be essential for getting silverware, plates, houseware, and all other miscellaneous items for your accommodation. These often will be very local in their feeling and will set you up great with local items at a great price. You can find fun games and great warm coats at these places. On my first day, I got an amazing chess set for 99 cents and used it for all of my time abroad. We would use the set and I would invite people to come over to my flat and play a game. I made countless connections with 99 cents and at the end of my time abroad, I donated it to the people on my floor to keep alive the chess traditions we had. I knew people who got golf clubs at the second-hand shop and knitting supplies there too. It is a great way to find cheap games and local items - highly recommend you find this!
Lastly, when you are going to bed, make sure you peacefully unpack the rest of your stuff and settle in. You have had a long day and deserve to have it end peacefully. Look back at the photos you took during the day and appreciate how brave and strong you have been! A lot is going on and a lot of change and you are doing amazing things! Take some time to yourself, get on the clock with a long night's rest, and wake up the next morning with a trip to that wonderful coffee shop you found. You made it through so much and you have so much to look forward to - just enjoy every second of it!
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Meet Brant Maxwell
📚 Brant is a Management Information Systems Major
🗓️ Fall 2022
🌎 Sweden: Lund - Lund University/SCU
Brant's Blogs:
Upon First Arrival
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Life After Study Abroad
Written by Jonathan Terryn, Spring Quarter 2023
I miss New Zealand. I miss the food, the culture, the landscape, the people, and most importantly my friends. I’m writing this in the Mission Garden while wearing my University of Auckland t-shirt. Something about such a profound reminder made me think about how influential study abroad has been on my life at Santa Clara.
The biggest thing I took away from my study abroad experience was maturity. When you’re in a new culture and a new environment you are forced to grow. You run into different ways of thinking, behaving, and seeing the world; so your ideas will be challenged. These challenges however bring new insights.
I learned so much about myself during study abroad. I had to grapple with my identity because it’s never been crystal clear. For the longest time I never had to confront it because people would normally accept my explanation without much of a second thought. But in New Zealand I found that people were more skeptical about my background. I used to think that being Swiss was self-evident. Clearly to some, this wasn’t the case. Hence, I had to learn to be ok with the fact that not everyone was going to agree with me. In addition, I learned about how I was perceived by others because I was constantly interacting with new and interesting people. Gaining this insight into myself allowed me to embrace parts of my identity I’d always tried to stifle. Through this learning experience I was able to gain a newfound sense of confidence.
I’ve taken that confidence and grown it even more at Santa Clara. Every opportunity that comes my way (that I’m interested in) is a chance to learn more about myself and to meet new people. I used to think that Santa Clara was a small university. Although in terms of population it is nowhere near the same size as the University of Auckland, (40,000!) it’s amazing the amount of new people I’ve met through Santa Clara. I’ve been going to a lot of concerts recently (something I dearly missed in New Zealand), and it’s been great to meet so many people passionate about music. I feel much more engaged with life at Santa Clara because going abroad really allowed me to gain perspective.
I know now that studying abroad wasn’t just a wonderful experience that occurred in the past. Study abroad has forever molded me into more of the person I always wanted to be. The unique experience of meeting so many new people, questioning my identity, and overcoming challenges, is something that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. To anyone who is doubtful of what the experience will bring, I say launch into it with the force of a rocketship. You never know just what the future will bring.
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Food & Travel Suggestions
Written by Rachel Chung, July 2022
As my journey in Paris comes to an end, I wanted to take some time to share a few suggestions on where to get food as well as places to visit. This is obviously not an exhaustive list, but just a few recommendations to guide you if you do end up studying abroad in Paris in the future.
Grocery Shopping
When it comes to grocery shopping, I highly recommend Monoprix. Among American students, Monoprix has been labeled as the “bougie” version of Target. Besides having a wide range of foods and beverages, it also has sections for clothing, household items, toiletries, and even stationery items such as pencils, pens, and notebooks. If you would like a cheaper option, Franprix would be a good pick. However, Franprix is only a grocery store and does not sell other products like Monoprix does. Nonetheless, both of these stores are quite popular and can be found in practically every neighborhood. Some other grocery stores you may find include Carrefour, Rapid Market, and Lidl.
Restaurants
With regards to restaurants, you will find a wide range of cuisine offerings. You will of course discover lots of traditional French food, but surprisingly, there’s also a lot of food from other cultures. Besides French cafés and dessert shops, there are a lot of halal, sushi, and poke restaurants within Paris. Boba shops are also increasingly becoming popular.
If you want to enjoy some homemade paninis, pastries or bread, I would recommend going to a local boulangerie or bakery. Their food is extremely fresh, and they will even heat up the sandwiches and paninis for you!
Clothing
As for clothing, there are tons of places throughout Paris where you can shop! Galeries Lafayette is a huge French department store chain. It is essentially an enormous mall with many shops inside. Galeries Lafayette also has a food court with a wide range of offerings including macarons, desserts, ice cream, lasagna, pizza, seafood, and more. A quick little “secret”! If you visit the Galeries Lafayette in Haussmann and take the elevator to the 8th floor, you can enjoy a panoramic rooftop view of the entire city. You’ll be able to see the Opéra Garnier, Eiffel Tower, Sacré Cœur, and Notre Dame. I also highly recommend going to the Les Halles shopping district. It is less pricier than Galeries Lafayette, and you will find countless stores both inside the mall and outside along the surrounding streets.
Paris Summer Sales
If you are in Paris around the last week of June to the first two weeks of July, you will be able to enjoy the Paris summer sales. During this period of time, practically all clothing stores offer sales. You’ll be able to find clothes marked down usually anywhere between 305 to 60%.
Places to Visit
Lastly, here are a few suggestions on touristic places to visit. If you want to stay within the bustling city, there is the Eiffel Tower, Musée du Louvre, Cathédrale Notre-Dame, Avenue des Champs-Élysées, Arc de Triomphe, Jardin du Luxembourg, Montparnasse, and Montmartre. With a less than 1-2 hour train ride, you can easily take a day trip to Giverny and visit Monet’s garden or to the Château de Versailles.
If you don’t mind taking a longer train ride and want to experience life in the countryside, I highly recommend visiting Strasbourg, Nice, Cannes, Mont Saint-Michel, and the Loire Valley.
Thank You ~
Well, that’s a wrap! Thank you for following along with me on my journey studying abroad in Paris this summer. It was really fun to get to share my own experiences, and I hope that my tips and suggestions will be helpful for you in your own future study abroad endeavors!
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Meet Angel Lin
📚 Angel is an Ethnic Studies and Sociology Double Major
🗓️ Fall 2022
🌎 France: Paris - Business & International Affairs/IES
Angel’s Blogs:
a postcard: from paris, to my beloved communities
vietnamese iced coffee in paris
love, leisure, & gluttony.
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Meet Jonathan Terryn
📚 Jonathan is a double major in Philosophy and French
🗓️ Fall 2022
🌎 New Zealand: Auckland - University of Auckland/Arcadia
Jonathan’s Blogs:
Where Do I Stand?
Life After Study Abroad
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Where Do I Stand?
Written by Jonathan Terryn, Winter Quarter 2023
I grew up in Switzerland, but my cultural background is all over the place. My mother is American, and my father is Belgian. At home, we would always speak English. Although most of the culture I consumed as a child was American, I could not escape the mark of an upbringing in Switzerland. I learned German and French alongside English at school and developed a love for skiing and punctual public transportation. I wouldn't trade growing up in Switzerland for the world. The only issue with having such a contrasting background is that I always need to decide which side to pick. Am I Swiss, American or Belgian? I never knew how to answer that question. For the longest time, if people asked, I could explain away their confusion. In study abroad, however, people were not as easily satisfied.
Dissatisfaction has always been a part of my life. I chalk it up to the notion that I always feel dislocated in the places I've lived. In Switzerland, I struggled with the idea that my “Americanization” meant that I could never fully be Swiss. While in the U.S., I've learned that even though my upbringing was in some ways very American, I am unquestionably Swiss. Hence, when I had the opportunity to study abroad, I jumped at the chance. I settled on New Zealand as my study abroad destination because I wanted to get away from what felt too familiar. As much as I love and miss spending time in Europe, I wanted to travel to a region I had never visited. I also hoped that New Zealand would be a welcome respite from my cultural disorientation. I saw it as a place also at odds with its cultural identity and where I could go to be understood. My fantasies, however, were quickly dashed upon arrival in New Zealand.
New Zealand is indeed a country culturally at odds with itself. On the one hand, it takes pride in its ties to the Commonwealth. Culturally it is very similar to the U.K. People drive on the left side of the road, New Zealand’s official food is very British, many New Zealanders tie their ancestry back to the U.K., and the government echoes the British parliament. At the same time, New Zealand has a distinct cultural identity. Māori culture has a significant influence on New Zealand’s identity. Te Reo (the Māori) language is incorporated into signs, announcements, and greetings. For example, the standard greeting in New Zealand is “kia ora”, literally meaning “be healthy”. Furthermore, Auckland (New Zealand’s biggest city) is a mishmash of different cultures. While in New Zealand, I was grateful to meet so many people of diverse backgrounds, but that didn’t mean everyone I met was as culturally enlightened.
Many people in New Zealand harbor prejudices against Americans. Anti-American exceptionalism was nothing new to me because of where I grew up. However, when I started studying abroad, animosity towards Americans was at a fever pitch because of the controversial Roe v. Wade ruling. It became hard for me not to lean into "smack-talking" the U.S. because I could always downplay my American heritage. However, while doing so was the easy option, it always felt wrong to disavow the U.S. because I couldn’t ignore my American heritage.
If I couldn’t ignore my American heritage, I would have to learn to embrace my identity. It was an incredibly draining process. For example, in group introductions, I was often introduced as being "not really Swiss", “a fake American”, or simply American. Each time I opened my mouth I had to defend myself because people would label me American because of my accent. I'd give the same response that went down well enough in the U.S., but people refused to buy my explanations in New Zealand. Having to justify my identity all the time wore me down and made me paranoid whenever I opened my mouth.
After one night out in Auckland, I remember reaching a tipping point. I remember venting to my friend Rachel as we walked back from the bus stop. She had gone through something similar growing up as a BIPOC in New Zealand. She never knew whether to identify as a Korean or a New Zealander. She let me vent for a couple of minutes, but once she noticed I was running out of steam, she interjected with, “so?” She told me that she had to learn to stop caring about what other people thought about her identity. The only person that she needed to convince was herself. I remember standing there dumbfounded. Could it be so simple? In truth, it isn’t. Or at least it hasn’t been for me. I still bristle every time someone suggests, “you’re not really Swiss”, but over time it's become easier to let it slide. I don’t have enough energy to worry about everyone who doesn’t believe me. I know who I am.
#scubroncosabroad#santaclarauniversity#scustudyabroad#studyabroad#newzealand#identity#culture#reflections
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Meet Lucas Bush
📚 Lucas is a double major in Political Science and Ethnic Studies
🗓️ Summer 2022
🌎 Chile: Santiago - Internship/API
What was your most memorable experience abroad?
My most memorable experience while in Chile was the weekend I was able to go travel to the Atacama desert. San Pedro de Atacama is a beautiful town surrounded by gorgeous valleys, mountains, and sand dunes. I was able to spend 48 hours in and around the town on a whirlwind weekend trip, which allowed me to experience an area of Chile outside of Santiago. I also don't think I had ever seen more stars in the night sky before that night, so far from light pollution.
How did you get involved with the local community while abroad?
I lived with a host family while abroad, which gave me a particularly close connection to the local community. I was able to go with my host family to see their extended family, close friends, local markets, and community events. My host family was my point of contact throughout my entire time in Chile, and they introduced me to a variety of experiences and community events.
What is something you wish you knew before studying abroad?
I wish I had known more about other communities to join during my time abroad. While my host family did introduce to their community, I wish I had been able to meet more people and expand my circle of friends in Chile. Since my internship did not include classes with other Chilean students, outside of my coworkers I had no real community to speak of at work. If I could have done more research and found some extracurricular groups, I would have enjoyed a more complete understanding of life in Santiago.
How were you able to complete your academic and personal goals while studying abroad?
My internship was the main factor in my time in Chile. I worked with the Center for Indigenous and Intercultural Research, a think tank working in collaboration with the Universidad Católica. My academic and personal goals centered around the work I did with their outreach team, interviewing researchers, and creating external communications and marketing content. My work was fulfilling and important, as well as succeeded in helping me accomplish my goals.
What advice do you have for students who are interested in study abroad?
Go for it! Study abroad is an invaluable experience and something that is really difficult to do after you graduate. Push yourself to go somewhere and gain a wonderful experience that you will remember for the rest of your life. One thing to remember: go with the flow. There will be some cultural differences that throw you for a loop, especially if you're living with a host family. Remember that you won't be able to live the same life you did in the US, and be ready to adapt and learn from your host culture, community, and family.
#scubroncosabroad#chile#santiago#santaclarauniversity#scustudyabroad#internship#internship abroad#api abroad
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Meet Valery Marin-Revolorio
📚 Valery is a double major in Public Health Science & French and Francophone Studies. She also has four minors in International Business, Economics, Political Science, and International Studies.
🗓️ Fall 2021
🌎 France: Nantes - French Language Immersion & Area Studies/IES
What was your most memorable experience abroad?
My most memorable experience was arriving at the University of Nantes for the first time and really understanding how different American universities are to European institutions.
How were you able to complete your academic and personal goals while studying abroad?
I was able to immerse myself in the French language and finally use my 11 years of study to use. My speaking fluency improved and I was able to take core classes in French and in a way that was interesting to me.
What is something you wish you knew before studying abroad?
I wish I had done more research on gender norms in the country.
How did you get involved with the local community while abroad?
My teaching internship at a private school allowed me to meet teachers and students from the city in which I lived.
What advice do you have for students who are interested in study abroad?
I would say do not be afraid to go out of the center and learn amongst the students in the city in which you live! You can make new friends and experience more things if you go outside your center's bubble.
Hear more about Valery’s time abroad in Nantes, France on our Podcast, Abroaden Your Horizons.
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Meet Juliana Trujillo
📚 Juliana is a Bioengineering major with a Chemistry minor
🗓️ Fall 2018
🌎 Spain: Madrid - Engineering, Architecture & Science/IES
Juliana’s Blogs:
The Countdown to Madrid
No Es Adios
¿Cómo Se Llama "I'm starting to get the hang of this"?
Must See in Madrid
Finals in Spain and Educational Differences
Travel Life Lessons
Missing Home Abroad
Optimizing Your Luggage: What to Bring and NOT Bring to Madrid
The Ins and Outs of Living with a Host Family
When Do I Go to School Again?
#scustudyabroad#scubroncosabroad#Juliana Trujillo#madrid#spain#STEM#women in STEM#iesabroad#santaclarauniversity#student spotlight
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Cultural Differences in Paris
Written by Rachel Chung, July 2022
While studying abroad, you will certainly encounter some cultural differences. Below are some things that I learned during my summer in Paris about French culture along with a couple of tips.
Manners & Etiquette
It is important to say bonjour or bonsoir as a sign of respect. Whether it be when you walk into a store, when you get in an elevator or when you encounter the staff in your residence, it’s important to greet others to show politeness.
Don’t smile at strangers.
Parisians tend to walk fast. Either keep up or kindly move over towards the right side of the path or sidewalk so that they can conveniently pass you.
Restaurants & Dining
Most stores and restaurants are either completely closed or are open only before lunch on Sundays. During the weekday, restaurants may also close for a couple of hours during the afternoon in between lunch and dinner.
Lunch is typically between 1pm to 2pm. Dinner is usually between 7pm to 9pm. The French like to enjoy their meals with ample time. It is also common to have a glass of wine with every meal.
If you would like to order take-out, say “à emporter.”
Unlike in the U.S., there aren’t as many vegan, vegetarian or gluten-free options. However, these options tend to be more common in touristic areas. Some grocery stores may also have a small section dedicated for these types of products.
In France, you can drink tap water! It is clean! You can also find free drinking water fountains throughout the streets of Paris.
In the U.S., it is common for restaurants to give water for free to customers. Contrastingly, in France, if you ask for a bottle of water, you will have to pay for it. However, if you ask for une carafe d'eau, you will get tap water for free.
At French restaurants, you will almost always have to ask for the check. In French culture, it is considered rude for waiters to bring the check without the customer having asked for it first. Additionally, depending on the restaurant, you may have to get up and pay at the register rather than the waiter doing it for you.
Do not tip.
Smoking is very common, even in public areas.
Safety & Belongings
A reminder that pickpocketing is very common in Paris. I would highly suggest getting a small cross-body bag for important items such as your phone, wallet, and keys. If you place the bag in front of you, you are more likely to be able to keep track of your belongings.
Weather
The weather in Paris surprisingly changes quite often. Although it is usually very hot in the summer, it can also get a bit chilly and windy. It even rained a couple of times this past month. Bringing an umbrella and a light raincoat or rain jacket may come in handy.
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Balancing Academics & Personal Goals
Written by Rachel Chung, July 2022
While studying abroad, it can sometimes be difficult to remember that you are ultimately there to study. However, with good planning and time management, you can not only complete your academic responsibilities, but also pursue your own personal goals such as traveling.
At CIEE’s Summer in Paris program, students were only allowed to take one course due to the fast-paced nature of the program. I took Economics of Wine, which covered the business aspect of wine from packaging to distribution to financial investments. Typically, I had class Monday through Thursday from 2pm to 5pm, and given the 30 to 40 minute commute from the apartment to the CIEE center, I didn’t have much time during the week to explore the city. As a result, I had to finish all of my homework during the week so that I could travel and have fun Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Paris - Eiffel Tower
Some places I visited included Tours, Strasbourg, Germany, and of course the many tourist sites within Paris. CIEE also offers multiple organized activities and trips. I highly suggest you take advantage of these! The very first weekend, I went on an organized trip to Tours and the Loire Valley. Some highlights included a walking tour of the city, lunch at a local restaurant, a wine tasting, and visit to the Chambord Castle.
Loire Valley - Chambord Castle
If you do end up studying in Paris, I strongly recommend making this weekend trip to Tours. It’s really nice to get out of the bustling city and experience what the slower-paced countryside has to offer.
The very last weekend of the program, I had the opportunity to go to Strasbourg with two of my friends. Besides simply admiring the beautiful architecture, we visited the Cathédrale Notre Dame, took a boat tour of the city, and shopped at the local farmers’ market. We also spontaneously decided to rent bikes and ride around the city. After deciding to take a random bike path on a whim, we ended up biking all the way to Germany! The views were absolutely stunning, and once again, it was really refreshing to experience a unique lifestyle different from the Parisian city.
Strasbourg - Germany
When it comes to your own study abroad journey, it’s important to learn to balance both your academic commitments and personal goals. Fortunately, with some planning and research, you can totally achieve both goals. Lastly, I would recommend pursuing your travel goals with friends. Not only is it more affordable since you can split costs such as lodging, but it is also lots of fun to have some company.
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Why Summer in Paris?
Written by Rachel Chung, July 2022
As I was planning my study abroad experience, choosing a program that fit my own academic, professional, and personal goals was quite challenging. One huge deciding factor was program structure.
Program Model
The CIEE Summer in Paris program is an island program, meaning that students are taking classes at an institution with other American students. Although it is the least immersive program structure in terms of not allowing us to take classes with host-country students, this program structure still offers many valuable opportunities.
Academic Structure
In terms of academic structure, the program’s teaching style is very similar to classes at SCU. In addition to traditional assignments such as papers, exams, and group projects, there’s also a large emphasis on active participation. With such a familiar teaching approach, it is much easier to adapt to academics and thus allow for more time to focus on overcoming the many challenges that come with living in a new country. Additionally, this program’s course offering of Economics of Wine was extremely intriguing to me. As a Finance major and International Business minor, taking a course that would enhance my understanding of business management from an European perspective was very important. From covering different aspects of wine economics including trade, production, and marketing to further strengthening my cross-cultural communication skills, the Economics of Wine course was crucial in my decision to choose this program.
Cultural Activities & Excursions
Furthermore, while this program offers organized co-curricular activities such as wine tastings and extra-curricular trips such as to the Loire Valley, Jardin du Luxembourg, and the Latin Quarter, you also get the opportunity to independently veer out on your own. Take a risk and visit a cultural or historical destination or even go out and spontaneously discover the streets. The apartment housing option really helped foster this sort of student independence. Without chaperones or other scheduled events besides classes and a few fun activities, it was up to ourselves to make the best memories and experiences we could. From using our French to order at local restaurants and boulangeries to buying groceries and cooking our own meals in our apartment, we really challenged ourselves by trying to live as authentically as possible to the Parisian lifestyle.
An Important Note:
As much as the island program was great for me, it’s important to recognize that everyone is different. As you begin to choose a study abroad program that works best for you, make sure to explore the multiple program structures including direct enroll, hybrid program, island program, and virtual program, which all offer different levels of immersion and cultural experiences.
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Transportation in Paris
Written by Rachel Chung, July 2022
Public transportation in Paris is extremely convenient. In the States, most people often rely on a car to get around. However, Paris’ accessible modes of public transportation make it very easy to get around the entire city – oftentimes without even having to deal with any traffic.
My personal favorite is the Métro. Trains usually depart every 2 to 5 minutes, but may depend on the specific line you’re taking. The Paris Métro usually runs from 5:30am to 12:30am Sunday through Thursday and from 5:30am to 1:30am on Fridays and Saturdays. The RATP website is a great resource for live information regarding each line’s arrival times, operating hours as well as any delays and important updates.
When it comes to purchasing tickets, you have a couple of options. In Paris, “RATP” is the massive transportation network that operates the Métro, buses, trams, and the RER. “T+ tickets” grant you access to all of these transportation types and often come in either single-use form or bundle packs. If you are staying in Paris for more than a week, I would highly suggest getting the Passe Navigo Découverte, which costs 5 euros. The Passe Navigo itself doesn’t get you anywhere as you need to charge it at one of the kiosk machines. Based on your own traveling needs, you can charge your Passe Navigo for a week, month or year. Once charged, you can use your Passe Navigo for an unlimited amount of times during your charge duration. Just remember that the weekly charge period begins on Monday and ends Sunday while the monthly charge period begins on the first day of the month and ends on the last day of the month. Thus, in some cases, the Passe Navigo may not be worth it if it is already the middle of the week, month or year. Don’t forget to add your full name and a profile picture on your Passe Navigo. Occasionally, officials will do random ticket checks. If you don’t have your validated T+ ticket with you or your Passe Navigo that matches your identity card, you will be fined.
Some other things to keep in mind:
Be aware of pickpocketing, especially when it is crowded and/or at larger stops and transfers.
Some Métro lines are older. The doors won’t open automatically at each stop; you will have to manually open the door by pushing up the lever.
Some Métro lines will not announce the name of every stop via the automated intercom. You will have to keep an eye on each stop so that you don’t accidentally miss yours.
Each Métro line goes in 2 opposite directions. You want to make sure you hop on the right one by checking the name of the line’s last stop.
For buses and trams, remember to validate your ticket upon entering. Also, don’t forget to press the “stop” button before your desired stop. If the driver doesn’t get the message and there is no one waiting at the bus stop to get on, he/she will simply pass through.
Tickets can be bought at practically any Métro stop outside the entrance gates. You can either buy them on your own at one of those kiosks or talk to an employee at the ticket window. However, the physical Passe Navigo Découverte card can only be bought at one of those ticket windows.
Make sure to stand on the right side when going up and down escalators. The left side is supposed to be for people who are walking up the escalator rather than just standing.
Say “pardon” if you need to get through or pass by someone.
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Meet Rachel Chung
📚 Rachel is a double major in Finance and Political Science with a minor in International Business.
🗓️ Summer 2022
🌎 Paris, France
Rachel’s Blogs:
Transportation in Paris
Why Summer in Paris
Balancing Academics & Personal Goals
Cultural Differences in Paris
Food & Travel Suggestions in Paris
#scubroncosabroad#santa clara university#student spotlight#blog#study abroad#global experiences#global citizen#political science#france#paris#Finance#International Business
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