Hello, fellow Tigers! I’m writing to you from one of the most beautiful places in the world: Nice, France. I don’t want to brag (okay, maybe just a little), but I get to call this paradise “home” for the next four months.
Now, before you get too jealous, I’m not here on vacation, but I’m participating in the International Student Exchange Program (ISEP), a study abroad program that LSU is a part of. I’m currently enrolled at the Université de Nice Sophia-Antipolis, so I am actually going to have to pick up a book every now and then when I’m not gazing at the Mediterranean Sea from my dorm room window.
How did I get here, you ask? Well, it was an arduous process that took months and months and, yes, you guessed it, more months. The process, which consisted of waiting to get accepted into the program, getting my first passport and long stay visa, filling out mountains of paperwork, getting courses approved by advisors, and attending orientations, all while handling school and work, became so overwhelming at one point that I almost wanted to completely give up on going.
However, now that all of that is behind me and I’m actually here, I’m so thankful I stuck through it. I’ve only been here for a week and a half, but I already feel like a local (despite the fact that actual locals call out my American accent from a mile away). Also, I’ve met the most amazing people that I know I’ll continue to keep in touch with long after this whole experience is over.
If you’re interested in studying abroad during college (which I highly suggest you look into at the LSU Academic Programs Abroad (APA) office in Hatcher Hall), follow along with my adventures here. I’ll be posting all kinds of things each week from the best sightseeing tips to the differences between the French and U.S academic systems to what kind of fashion you find on French college campuses (spoiler alert: Nike shorts and flip flops are non-existent here). 
Between blog posts, if you have any questions about the process of how to study abroad, don’t hesitate to reach out to me on Twitter at @AggiAshagre, but definitely go to the APA office for detailed info about study abroad opportunities as well. I also have a daily InstaBlog on Instagram which you can follow at “mhmitsaggi.”
‘Til next week!

Gallery • 2 Photos

Nice, France