I’ve been living in France for one year attending graduate school, and ever since I made the decision to move here, or step out, I am always getting asked: “What made you decide to move to France?”
Going back to school to earn my Master’s degree was a decision I made based on the situation I was in. I earned my Bachelors degree 4 years prior to my grad school enrollment and had been working in my field during that time. I was a certified professional and felt that going to grad school would be a beneficial step towards advancement. Knowing what I wanted to study – International Human Resource Management, I began researching schools in Washington D.C. and New York City. However, those locations felt too ‘comfortable’ for me. I wanted something out of the ordinary and outside my comfort zone. And then it came to me! I’ve traveled since the age of 5 and if I love traveling so much, why not consider graduate school outside of the U.S. to appeal to my wanderlust and my education? After all, I did want to study international management!
Being from the United States, I of course considered schools in England as they are fellow English speakers. But, I also did some research on schools in France based on the sole reason that I took some french courses in secondary school. Lo and behold, the university I found in France had the exact program I wanted, was taught in English, and ended up costing me less than I would’ve had to pay for a university in the states.
Upon my acceptance, I deferred for a year to save money and prepare for my move. What I came to realize after I arrived in France was that no amount of preparation could have truly readied me for what I faced in France.
