Five months, one acceptance letter, and a pre-departure
orientation later, I’m even more excited and further along in the process of
getting to France (and Spain)! A lot has happened in such a short amount of
time. Okay, so I guess it has been a pretty long time since I last posted (four
months or so), but a lot of things have definitely been flying by in almost
three whole months.
In December, I met with the Study Abroad Director at SNC
once before winter break. We went over what I’d all need to collect for my
application to study at the Catholic University of Lille (l’Université
Catholique de Lille) in the fall. It was great to have a defined list, and it
didn't seem like too much trouble, so I started on collecting my application
materials (in between holiday festivities with my family).
Fast-forward to the end of January, starting the spring
semester at SNC, and I didn't really have too much done for my application. I
wanted to start on my essay over break, but that didn't end up happening.
However, I did get a few things, like an official copy of my birth certificate,
ready to submit to the Study Abroad office. So, the semester started on an okay
note in the area of study abroad.
Finally, at the beginning of February, I really started to
get everything together. Each document I gathered, each task I completed,
earned me a checked box on my list of accomplishments. Being a big
procrastinator normally, I was really proud of how fast I was getting things
together. Before long, I had my essay written, and all the boxes checked on my
application. Time was flying by!
March 3 was the deadline for the application, and I got
everything together well ahead of time. Finally, I was getting somewhere! The
only thing I had left to do at that point was to wait to hear back from the
university in France (after the lovely Dr. Rosemary Sands, Director of Study
Abroad, sent everything out – I owe many thanks to her already!). Then, on March
26, I got an email from Rosemary with a scan of my acceptance letter attached,
and it was finally official!
From here on out, my biggest priorities are budgeting,
figuring out what and how to pack, and getting everything together to go get my
French long-stay visa down at the French Consulate in Chicago. (For studying
abroad, since it’s longer than 3 months, I need a long-stay student visa – and
LOTS of documentation – so that the French authorities know my purpose there).
Once I send in my materials to Campus France, an organization that facilitates
and promotes higher education in France, I will be able to set up an
appointment and go down to Chicago, so I can get my official visa to study in
France. That will just be one more official step in this process, but it will
make it all the more real to me. I can’t wait for what lies ahead!
While we wait for more news, here are a few cool links for videos that
I will be watching about studying abroad!
http://www.youtube.com/user/SNCstudyabroad
- SNC Study Abroad YouTube Channel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20BGpWxugmI
- “Study Abroad: 5 Things You Will Love & Hate”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvzZb3XAafk
- “Study Abroad France: Before You Leave”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5n1Xk1uDPI
- “My Year in Spain: Packing Do’s and Don’ts”
