International relations major junior Zainab Tahir (pictured above) is currently studying abroad in Paris through the SUNY at the Sorbonne Program. Thus far, Tahir has significantly improved her French fluency and has had the opportunity to travel throughout France to visit various historical landmarks (courtesy of Zainab Tahir).
I am an international relations major junior studying abroad in Paris this semester. Paris has always been my dream destination due to its rich history, culture and monuments.
I hope through this experience I can immerse myself in the culture, learn the language and become well-rounded for my future work in the field of global affairs.
The program I chose is the SUNY at the Sorbonne Program, led by SUNY Oswego and in partnership with Binghamton and Geneseo.
I chose the English track option, which allows me to take classes related to my major in English at SciencesPo while taking French language and grammar classes at the Sorbonne University, one of Paris’s oldest and most prestigious colleges.
I am currently taking four classes, including a course on European law where we talk about the European Union and government in France. I hope I can expand my knowledge of global politics to help increase my opportunities after graduation.
The program allows me to go on multiple excursions throughout France. I went on a trip this past weekend to the countryside to see Normandy, the site of the D-Day invasion during World War II.
Afterwards, I went to the American cemetery where the fallen American soldiers were buried after D-Day. It was amazing to see the site of such a significant event in history, especially having learned about it since elementary school. Visiting the museum and visualizing the events that occurred gave me a different perspective of the war.
Another destination of the trip was St. Malo, where we saw the sunrise on the Emerald Coast in the Brittany region of France and tried the area’s renown seafood.
The final stop was at Mont St. Michel, a cathedral on an island surrounded by quicksand and featuring beautiful architecture dating back to the Middle Ages. As one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites, the island served as inspiration for Disney’s Tangled and was one of the most breathtaking sites I have ever visited.
Aside from these excursions, being in Paris has allowed me to live a new lifestyle and immerse myself in a culture I would not be able to experience at Geneseo.
I arrived early in January and have been here for a month now which has introduced me to so many new changes and people of all different backgrounds.
Through my classes, I’ve met people from all around the world including Turkey, Germany, Italy and more. I spend my daily life mainly conversing in French. The day I arrived, I could barely understand the conversations around me, but after only a month I can confidently approach people and undertake daily activities with few problems.
From the Eiffel Tower to the Louvre, I can barely take in everything I have experienced and learned so far. I already know that at the end of these five months, I will come home with a new perspective and memories that will stay with me going forward.