Lille stood out to me not only because of the academic opportunities, but also because of its location in northern France. It is a walkable city with much culture, diversity and history. It is also just a train ride away from cities like Paris, London, Brussels and Amsterdam. Before arriving, I read a lot of articles about Lille and watched vlogs on Youtube of people who live there. This gave me a glimpse of what it is like walking through the streets and what activities there are.

Since arriving, every day has been eventful and so wonderful. My mornings usually start around 7:30am and I meet my friends at our favorite boulangerie for breakfast. I love coffee so I order “un grand espresso” and of course a “pain au chocolat” to go with! We go to the same boulangerie all the time and have become friends with the owners. From there, we walk through the quiet streets to campus, located right in the heart of the city.
Classes start promptly at 9am and last three hours. The professors teach completely in the French language, using synonyms and examples to help us understand new vocabulary. They also help us with our pronunciation based on the country we are from. After class, my friends either go to the cafeteria or try a new restaurant for lunch.

Afterwards, I go and explore the city independently. Lille’s architecture and parks are absolutely gorgeous and there is history everywhere. Apart from when there was a heat wave, the weather is usually sunny and mild. This made exploring even more magical. This led to me discovering new boutiques, parks, meeting new people and learning how to communicate cross-culturally, as well as gain more independence.

Oftentimes in the evenings, there are group events for all of the students in the program. For example, there was a multicultural night where we had the opportunity to learn more about everyone’s cultures, try foods from different countries and meet new people. It was so cool to see the similarities and differences between all of the countries represented. I loved the education and exchange of cultures as well as connecting with the other students.