Hi! My name is Lauren Thomas and I’m a rising junior in Weinberg studying economics and political science. In just 11 days, I’ll be traveling to Paris, France to study at Sciences Po for a semester! I can’t believe how fast it’s come up. I feel like it was just yesterday that I finished my sophomore year and now I’m nearly in Paris!
A fun fact about me: I’ve actually been taking Chinese at NU for two years now, so I’ve spent more time here practicing my Chinese than my French. Understandably, people often wonder why I chose to study abroad in France rather than China, but I’ve been dreaming of studying in France since I was in high school. Growing up, traveling abroad was far too expensive for my family of six, and outside of one week in Paris with classmates the summer after my sophomore year of high school, I’ve never gotten the chance to experience life outside the US (and Canada). I’ve always had a fascination with traveling and other cultures, and Europe is a great place to explore that fascination.
I studied French for six years in high school, and 2 quarters here, so naturally, my first choice was France. I want to perfect my French, because I want to work in international business or economics and speaking two languages is extremely beneficial. I was originally advised by fellow students to pick a different city in France for studying abroad, rather than Paris, but I ultimately chose Sciences Po because it is the premier institute for social sciences in France. 3 of the last 4 French presidents attended Sciences Po, and they are known worldwide for their economics and political science programs. I specifically picked the direct exchange program, rather than an NU program, because I wanted the chance to take classes in French with actual French students. Luckily, Sciences Po also offers about half its classes in English, and I’m taking 3 classes in English and 2 in French. I know it’ll be a huge adjustment, but I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to live and study in Paris this fall! Au revoir, USA!