Our students study in Paris as part of the Erasmus exchange program

Erasmus+ represents the European Union's comprehensive initiative for education, sport, and training. Students and staff have access to a wide range of opportunities for studying and training abroad. Additionally, participants can engage in internships abroad lasting between two to twelve months.

Our two students, Isabell Repalust, an International Business student from the Zagreb campus, and Ana Vujović, a Hospitality and Tourism Management student from the Dubrovnik campus, shared their Erasmus experience from the American Business School of Paris. Not only did the Erasmus program at ABS Paris provide them with valuable lectures and chances to get to know the city, but they also had the opportunity to work as junior consultants in companies in Paris. This experience is a once-in-a-lifetime memory, and they both encourage everyone who is thinking about the exchange program to take a chance on it!

Ana and Isabell's Erasmus journey

Ana has already been on one Erasmus exchange program in Madrid. She knew she wanted to study more abroad so she began to explore her options. Besides her major in Hospitality and Tourism Management, she wanted to pursue a minor in Finance. She found an excellent opportunity to study at ABS Paris which brought her a lot of different experiences.

Erasmus was a great opportunity for Isabell to study abroad, and meet new cultures and people, but she didn't know which college to choose. The most important criterion when choosing was for it to be an American college. ABS Paris was a match as well because it had the courses Isabell was interested in.

Isabell takes two courses online from RIT Croatia, and three in person, on the Paris campus. She is at the university most of the week and doesn't have a lot of free time, while Ana mostly has morning classes. Isabel said that the highlight of her experience was having fun with her new friends. She found the Erasmus Student Network community, a student association in Europe which is a great way to meet new people. Everyone in the community is open to help and communicate, which greatly helped her in adjusting to her exchange.

Both Ana and Isabell participated in the project called Company Case Challenge. It is a project that allows students to work as junior consultants for various companies over three months. Each team had a different challenge given to them by the company. Isabell, a business student, works for a company called Foundever.org, an NGO in the customer experience industry. She was happy to share that she was in a great, and supportive team and that the company was excellent, always available, and easy to arrange everything. Ana worked with Auditoire, an international marketing firm. Her team was tasked to come up with creative recommendations and marketing strategies for the multinational telecommunications company’s flagship store opening in the upcoming Olympic Games 2024 in Paris.

This is a memory you will have for life

Ana and Isabell encourage students considering participating in the Erasmus program to take the opportunity! International exchange opportunities offer students a great chance to step out of their comfort zone. They explained how one learns a lot by being independent, meeting people from all around the world, and one gets to explore the places and hidden gems of the city they are in.

Since Ana mostly had morning classes, she had enough free time to explore the Parisian streets. When asked about the most memorable moments, she highlighted the shared stories between international students over coffee and croissants and long walks through Parisian gardens.

Isabell spent her time in classes and catching up with schoolwork, but she also had the opportunity to explore Paris. She was proud to say that she visited Disney and that it was a wonderful and fun experience. „Daily I would meet strangers, become friends immediately, and go out with them. At home, I would be too much in the comfort zone to do something like this“, says Isabell. She added that she learned to enjoy and appreciate things more, and as for professional growth, she learned how the real business world works, and it gave her a big networking opportunity.

For Ana, Erasmus helped her to grow both personally and professionally. „It taught me independence, adaptability, and resilience especially when navigating language and cultural barriers“, she said. This experience was a chance to get out of her comfort zone and to meet new people.

Tips and tricks you need to know when visiting Paris

When visiting a new place, especially a different country, it is good to know some basic life hacks. Every culture is different. In Paris for example, many places open close to noon, so forget about grabbing a morning coffee. Restaurants mostly open late in the evening, so make sure you make a reservation in time.

Both students agree that you need to know the basics of French because most of the people there don’t speak English. It is good to have Google Translate open and ready, especially in state institutions.

When meeting someone for the first time, or greeting them for the tenth, Parisians will greet you with a kiss on the cheek. One thing both Ana and Isabell haven’t gotten used to!

For more information about the International Study Experience, and Erasmus+ Exchange Program, click on the following link https://www.rit.edu/croatia/international-study-experience