I have been in Nice, France for two weeks now and am loving it! EDHEC Business School Nice is quite different from Texas A&M and Mays. EDHEC is housed entirely in one building right on the Promenade des Anglais, and I have a view of the Mediterranean from many of my classes. The building itself is very modern and has a lot of amenities for students such as a restaurant. There are also many terraces around the building to eat lunch at and watch the planes take off from the nearby airport. The classes here are once a week for three hours, and a few of the courses begin at different points in the semester. I have some electives that do not begin until March. The schedule can also change from week to week, which I am not used to. One aspect of the courses that I feel will have the biggest impact is that most of the courses are based solely off one final exam. I will have to adjust my studying and learning style, as I am used to frequent midterms, quizzes, and homework.
I have noticed many differences between the lifestyle here and back at home in Texas. I have become used to walking everywhere or using the tram/bus system to get around. Many of the restaurants and businesses here will close in the middle of the day and on Sundays, which I was not used to. The food here is also different, and there are bakeries everywhere to get a baguette, pastry, or sandwich. Nice is also known for having excellent seafood, especially mussels. The language barrier has been difficult, as many people here do not speak English. Navigating things like the grocery self-checkout in French and some other tasks have been a little difficult but I am starting to recognize more. Luckily, my French course here begins this week.
I was able to meet a lot of my fellow exchange students at our orientation before school started. I found out that I am the only American exchange student in my program, and it has been fascinating to meet people from all over the world. They speak so many different languages and bring parts of all their cultures. We have been trying to make the most of our time here and have begun already exploring the Cote D?azur with trips to Cannes and Monaco already! While in Cannes we took a ferry to the nearby island of Sainte-Marguerite, where there was a royal fort and a small prison that housed the infamous ?Man in the Iron Mask.? I have also been spending a lot of time on the beaches near me, especially during sunset as it is always spectacular. I am looking forward to the rest of my time here and hope to make the most of it!
