Some of the students that come to Paris have only an elementary (basic) level of French, which means they rely on the people in the community to help them adjust to France. Exploring with friends, trips with professors, and lessons with professionals of the city help ease everyone into the transition of living in a different country.
NYU uses the phrase "a community of micro-communities," which means that even though we are a large school, everyone has the opportunity to find their place. At NYU Paris we have a lot of cultural programming activities to learn more about Paris and to learn more about each other. For example, this semester I am going to a museum of perfume, to a comedy show called "How to Be Parisian," and on an overnight trip to Loire Chateaux (castles). I read numerous books to prepare me for moving to Paris, but nothing is more helpful than the people that are there to welcome you with open arms. As a Residential Assistant, I am happy to be a part of the process of helping students adjust to a new place, especially because not long ago I was in the same position.
