Zakhar Paulousky, CIEE Open Campus Block in Paris, Fall 2025
There are so many things that one must navigate while studying abroad. This should come as no surprise to anyone. People have very different cultures, practices, and food, among many other things. There are a number of administrative hurdles that one must jump through as well. Though I can’t warn you of every single issue that you might run into, and my experience in Paris may not be the same as in the dozens of cities where study abroad is possible, I will try to describe some challenges I faced, as well as things that I did to make the most of my study abroad program.
The first hurdle was deciding which program to do and how to get the university to grant credit. The easiest way to avoid any headaches that may come with this is by going abroad through a Panther Program, which makes it easy to transfer credits. There are also Pitt-recognized programs, which are separate from Pitt, and let you transfer credits while studying with a different organization. Regardless, both of these require tons of research, and that is tip number one: research and communication are indispensable. The study abroad office can help, but doing your own research is vital to making sure that the program you decide on works well with your wants. However good your research is on paper, there will be differences with what happens in reality. This is another thing to be prepared for – just because you’re abroad does not mean that everything will be perfect, though it definitely helps.
Though exploring a new location is extremely interesting, and so is meeting new people and making new friends, homesickness is real. It is important to take care of yourself and make sure that you have a balance of new experiences as well as times of grounding and reaching out to old friends and family. Without this, it can be hard to feel present and involved, regardless of how much you might put yourself out there. Similarly, it is important to not push yourself too much. It may be tempting to travel every single weekend, but it is also quite important to both explore your local area and also rest and recharge your batteries.
Another tip to remember – this is study abroad, not just “abroad.” Class is still class, and homework is still homework, so it’s important to keep academics on the priority list and not just disregard them. On the topic of academics, classes may not be exactly the same as they are at Pitt. Many cultures have different philosophies regarding pedagogy, so it’s important to go to class with an open mind and be ready to communicate about grading and assignments.
Those are just a few of the tips that I picked up on during my time doing study abroad. Once again, it is crucial to do your own research as well, as others may have more specific or pertinent advice. Despite that, I truly hope that this information was helpful and creates a better study abroad experience for you.
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