Hello! My name is Isabel and I studied abroad for a full year in Lyon, France through the ORA exchange program offered here at Queen's University. The former capital of the French Roman Empire, Lyon is a large city rich with history and culture. From underground jazz bars to ancient Roman colosseums, Lyon welcomed me warmly as an international student, and quickly became home.
My host university, the University of Jean Moulin Lyon 3, is a beautiful campus in the heart of Lyon housed in an old tobacco factory! Renowned for its international studies programs, Lyon 3 offered incredible support and opportunities to those studying abroad. I was able to meet students from all around the world and was taught by incredible professors from diverse backgrounds. The ORA exchange program, which includes a scholarship and ample networking opportunities both in Canada and abroad, has an emphasis on French Language courses. With 15+ different levels of French course offerings tailored to your starting level, students of all linguistic backgrounds are able to make the most of their education abroad.
Situated in the Southeast of France in the Rhone Alps Region, Lyon is the perfect jumping-off point for all types of travel. With a very functional train system and a direct city train to the airport, I was able to experience more than ten different countries over the course of my exchange. But it was my host country of France that truly housed so many of my cherished memories, and surprised me with how much it came to feel like home. The Cote d’Azur an hour’s train South, and Paris an hour’s train ride North, the incredible culture, natural landscape, and deep history I was able to experience in France completely changed my education and personal outlook. From small medieval towns to hikes in the French Alps, it’s the day trips I took and the evenings in Lyon that shaped my incredible everyday exchange experience.
My advice to future Queens exchange students is to trust yourself and be proactive. The process of exchange is a lot of work, and it can be daunting for students deciding to take that leap, but it is worth every application form, every VISA appointment, and every exchange credit report you do. What you learn on exchange comes not only from exploring the Vatican, hiking in the French Alps, swimming in the Mediterranean, and clapping along at a Flamenco show (all things I did, by the way) but also from the long bureaucratic processes, from the new procedure of course selections at your host university, and from figuring out how to order a sandwich in ten languages (I could never figure out Hungarian). It is these challenges that make an exchange worth doing, and trust me, exchange is well worth it.
