By: Liv Catanoso
I had no idea what to expect when studying abroad in southern France with over 100 other art students in a town with a population of around 400 people. I was preparing for a lowkey and relaxing couple of months, but that was only half of what we got. Ahead are a few tips about how to survive when studying abroad with SCAD.
YOU WILL DEVELOP A PHATTY
Everywhere you turn, there are either hills or stairs. You’d think you’d get used to it, but after 7 weeks, we are still huffing and puffing just to get back to our dorm from the dining hall. Don’t get me started if you live at Maison Base. Located all the way at the bottom of town, it's about a 10 minute hike up a steep mountain just to get into the town, and you’re lucky if one of the few school vans can give you a ride up or down. Oh and beware of the wild boars that sometimes show up on the pathways.
2. KNOW YOUR LIMIT
There’s only two bars in this small town but you can be guaranteed to find students there most nights of the week. The most frequented restaurant and bar is “Cafe Le Sade” where we know the workers on a first name basis, but we’re sure they’re tired of us all. Because the drinks are so cheap, some people will take advantage of that and end up throwing up on the cobblestone streets or flirting with the weird French men who will follow them home. Some nights after a couple hours at Le Sade, a large group of drunken students will stumble up to the chateau at the top of the town. Bringing a speaker, they’ll dance, socialize, and suck faces in the dark (Or climb up one of the large statues and break their wrist jumping off). So make sure to be aware of your surroundings, know your limits, and be safe!
3. EVERYONE KNOWS EVERYONE
Put a bunch of horny young art college students in a secluded town and within the first couple weeks, word travels about all the hookups happening; and it was even quicker before word started going around about a so-called “list” of all the hookups students were having. People have ideas of who created it but we have never seen or heard any confirmation of it. There’s nothing wrong with having some fun when studying abroad (when in France!) but be aware that there’s only so many people and when everyone knows everyone, word spreads quickly! Before you know if you'll find yourself in an episode of Love Island (France Edition).
4. MAKE SURE TO TRAVEL - BUT BEWARE
One of the biggest things to take advantage of when studying abroad is how easy it is to travel. Trains, planes or automobiles - there are multiple different ways to get around and see the sights of Europe. We knew a lot of people who went to Switzerland, Italy, Barcelona, and many more. Make sure to be early to your bookings, and to not book with the cheapest options. Someone we know (definitely not us… totally not my group of friends…) booked a bus that either never showed up or we somehow missed even though we were early. So make sure to double (or triple) check reviews and ratings on transportation or housing.
5. DON’T PISS OFF THE ADMINISTRATION
We have a lovely staff who helps us with living abroad. From giving us rides to putting together events for us all, they do a lot for us, and in return - they have to send us multiple emails about all the problems we’ve caused. It all started with them finding paraphernalia on campus. Multiple cigarette butts and caps from liquor bottles started a 24 hour search for whoever was responsible for leaving them on campus grounds. After that it was shoe marks on furniture, liquids spilled in the library, and a 10 POUND container of yogurt being spilled in a school van. (Don’t ask, I genuinely have no idea how or why that happened.) It changes the mood of those who help us on a daily basis and the least we can do is respect them and the campus they take care of.
At the end of the day, studying abroad with art students is basically summer camp, so don’t take anything too seriously. Make sure to create art and have fun!
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