Paris, the City

Paris is one of the most well-known and well-loved cities in the world, having been affectionately referred to as the City of Light and the City of Love. Students will experience a stylish, sophisticated culture rooted in the city’s rich, medieval history. With iconic sites such as the Louvre Museum, Notre-Dame cathedral, and the Eiffel tower, the city melds modern-day life with the remnants of stories past. Paris is known for its worldwide cultural leadership, its revolutionary influences, both past and present, its extraordinary collections of art and architecture, its beauty, its food, and its language.  

As inspiring as it is, Paris may seem off-putting for many students at first. Operating amidst a new language and surrounded by new expectations, one can feel under constant critique. Students face many cultural differences and new, initially uncomfortable aspects of everyday life. Longtime Parisians may seem aloof, food can be expensive, and people may operate at a different pace than what a foreigner is used to. During the Paris Semester, students are challenged to maintain a rigorous university schedule surrounded by so many stimulating opportunities. 

Nevertheless, students of Asbury’s Paris Semester discover that going beyond simply “seeing what is there” to living as a temporary local, they are able to develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of this major cosmopolitan capital. Pursuing a part of one’s university experience abroad in the City of Lights is transformational.  

“Paris in no small way changed my life’s trajectory. As a French minor with some French family background, the Paris Semester was an opportunity to improve my language skills and explore my ancestry. As a writer, it gave me the chance to walk the same streets as some of the greats. As a self-proclaimed workaholic, it showed me a different way of living and taught me the art of slowing down. Above all, it was a place that fostered a profound amount of both spiritual and personal growth.” ~Alexa Goins, Fall 2015 Alum and 2017, 2019, 2021 Paris Semester Assistant