Elise Auger ’14 studied abroad in Paris for the 2012-13 academic year. We caught up with her to ask about her experience.
Her Campus: What made you want to do the Skidmore in Paris: Advanced Studies program?
Elise Auger: As a transfer student I was obligated to do a Skidmore Program because I couldn’t bring in any more transfer credits and I knew I wanted to be abroad for two semesters. France was a no-brainer for me because I’m a French/Studio Art double major. Fluency has always been a goal of mine and the only way to achieve that is to live in a native-speaking place. I had been to France a few times before and knew I wanted to see what it would be like to live there.
HC: What was it like living abroad for two semesters?
EA: I will tell you it’s the only way to go abroad. By the end of the first semester you’re really just getting used living in a new culture. Things are still sinking in. You’re still a pretty obvious foreigner. It was the beginning of the second semester that I first noticed the real leap I had made in the language and the rest of my time there was what I needed to polish it up. I was so much more relaxed second semester. I knew the city. I knew what I wanted from living there, and took advantage of as many things as I could. I actually was starting to feel like a local. I would have felt I hadn’t gotten enough out of it if I had gone home in December.
HC: You took classes mostly at the Skidmore Center in the fall and at Parisian universities in the spring. Could you tell us about them and some of the differences you noticed?
EA: The classes at the Skidmore Center were pretty good. I liked most of the professors (especially my French grammar professor) and I thought the workload was average. I took all my classes in French, but still felt that my goals were being compromised by being around Americans all the time (though I certainly enjoyed myself). First semester I also took a few classes outside the Skidmore Center (a drawing class at a little studio, a flamenco class at a dance center, and I attempted an art history class at L’Institut Catholique). But I felt really scattered around, having classes in four different neighborhoods, and was missing a community feeling. So next semester I was able to make a change (another reason why two semesters is the way to go). I applied to a French art school (Oliver de Serres) and took all my classes there the following semester.
It was interesting to really get the inside look on French education. Consensus: not a fan of the teaching style. I found there was definitely too much emphasis on process and technique and not enough on aesthetic, concept, and critique. The school lacked any kind of community, but that has to do with the general attitude of French students (who keep their school and social lives pretty separate) and the rarity of residential-campus universities. That being said it was still a neat experience and my French improved a ton. I also got to learn a medium I’d have never had the chance to dabble in here in the states: lacquer. Glad I did it.
HC: What was it like living with a host family?
EA: MY HOST FAMILY WAS AMAZING! I got pretty lucky and ended up with a family that was interested in getting to know me while giving me space. They made me feel like their home was my home. They were incredibly warm, welcoming, open-minded people who were so easy to live with. Having them and their lovely apartment as my home base was so important. They and their three-hour long dinners were an integral part in my progress with the language. I miss them a lot, but we keep in touch, and I’ll be visiting them.
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HC: You traveled all over Europe; you didn’t even come home for winter or summer break! How did you make it work? How did you travel?
EA: I tried to travel in the most “local” way possible, meaning I tried to deny my tourist status. Cost had a little part in it, but I would have chosen to couchsurf and carpool even if I had had a bigger budget. It’s a fantastic way to meet locals and get the inside scoop on the city. Couchsurfing also has forums with events posted for cities everywhere, so even if you’re too shy to stay with someone you can find awesome things to do that you’d never have known existed.
As for WWOOFing, I recommend it for anyone who wants to have a genuine cultural experience, wants to explore rural areas, and doesn’t mind getting their hands dirty. I worked on a goat farm in the middle of winter in the Vosges mountains, learned how to make cheese, helped goats give birth, and bottle-fed baby goats around the clock. It’s easy to coordinate, you’re not tied into anything, and you can meet some really cool people and gain incredible insight into other peoples lifestyles.
A lot of the culture and art and “stuff” to do is in the cities, but there is so much to SEE in between and you miss it all when you just zip by on a train or a plane. I biked from Paris to Prague through Corsica, Italy, and Austria this summer with this random guy I met coming through Paris after a month already being on his bike. He wanted some company and I needed some motivation, so I bought a bike and two days later we were heading south. Traveling by bike gives you the most freedom. At the end of the day when you’re getting tired, you just find a nice little field and pop up your tent, cook yourself a camp-stove, one-pot dinner, and snuggle your sore bum down into your sleeping bag.
HC: What’s your favorite place that you visited and why?
EA: Corsica. It’s just pure beauty. The island is relatively small and covered with pretty huge mountains, so the landscape was intense to bike, but so worth it because the views were insane. The best part of the island is the northwest coast, with its red, rocky cliffs, hidden beaches, and little villages tucked up into the mountains. The food was great (especially the cured pork and fresh produce) and I loved their local beer. The French will tell you Corsicans are a “special” bunch, but everyone I met was friendly and helpful. I would go back in a heartbeat.
HC: What advice or words of wisdom do you have for students interested in the Skidmore in Paris program?
EA: Don’t go with any expectations and you’ll enjoy yourself. Don’t be nervous about living with a French family. Most of the time it’s an enriching experience that’s not at all like living with your own parents. And finally, keep an open mind. Nothing is ever like you expect it to be, but if you’re willing go with the flow you’ll stumble upon some real gems.