Maria C. Smith ’12

I am originally from Frederick, and I chose Hood because I wanted a school where I would be able to dive deep into different interests. Ultimately, the deciding factors were the ability to play field hockey and to have access to incredible professors from the first semester. And, of course, after my Admitted Students Day event, I was drawn in by the warm and welcoming community

I had always dreamed up studying abroad, but when I decided in my first year to complete my Secondary Education Certification for French, I knew I absolutely had to go live in a francophone culture in order to be a successful French teacher. At the time, Hood partnered with other schools to offer experiences in either Paris or Toulouse. A huge merci to Dr. Course for encouraging me to go to Toulouse!

The most challenging part of my experience was communication with my host family. Many people in my program had incredible connections with their host families and still keep in touch today. My own experience, like many other students who study abroad, was just okay, but it helped to prepare me for other situations when living abroad.

The most rewarding part was making connections on my own, including being friends with French students in my classes at the university, babysitting for neighbors, and tutoring younger students on the side. I also loved the opportunity to live in a city with phenomenal public transportation that made it easy to explore.

I do believe that things are changing in both cultures, but at the time, the university in Toulouse where I took classes was entirely lecture-based and professors were generally inaccessible. This was a stark contrast to what I was used to, and loved, about my experience in classes at Hood. Campuses that I’ve encountered in France do not usually have all of the amenities and school spirit like in the US, and I did find myself missing easy access to a gym and a sweatshirt to represent my school. On the other hand, student life in France is much more affordable. It is easy to find student discounts on food, travel, movies, etc. I have been a teacher and a student in both academic cultures and I have equal amounts of love and grievances for each system!

While in Toulouse I rented a violin so I could continue to practice. I primarily play Irish music and found a small Irish pub in Toulouse that had open session nights. I got to play with people of all nationalities, sometimes we did not even share a common language, but everyone knew the same tunes so we were able to play together for hours!

Go to a city other than Paris! You will not regret it! I am certain that Parisian life lives up to the expectations, but if you want to be able to truly immerse yourself in France from the moment you arrive, you should pick another city. Other cities will likely be cheaper and have far fewer other Americans, making it easier to create authentic connections in French.