Maria and Jalen sit on a bench together, wearing masks, in Reims, France.
Master's

Studying in France as Americans: First Semester Down

It’s been four months, or a whole semester, since Jalen and I began our master’s degree studies in France at the Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne where Jalen is studying Logistics and I am studying Public Law. This month has presented even more new experiences, so read on to find out what we did this month!


Classes officially ended for both of our programs in mid-December. Jalen completed all of this semester’s assignments, including online tests, presentations, and group projects, before winter break began on December 21st. My program, however, has three weeks of first semester exams, one before winter break and two after. So far, I’ve completed two written exams for my Droit Matériel de l’Union Européenne and Droit des Services Publics classes, and I have five oral exams to go in January.

I’ve been spending this month studying for my exams while Jalen has been making progress on a year-long research project. Therefore, we’ve still been spending a lot of time together in our apartment! We’re both making time for relaxation as well while we don’t have classes to attend.

Currently, France has a nation-wide curfew from 8:00 PM to 6:00 AM, and all of our academics continued to take place online this month to prevent the spread of COVID-19. We’re still waiting to hear whether our next semester will start in person or online.

Reflecting on this semester, we feel that we have come a long way since we arrived in August. We are proud of what we have accomplished personally and academically after moving abroad during a pandemic and beginning master’s degrees in new fields. We are excited for our next semester and to continue our journey as Americans in France!

If you have any questions or want to know more, leave us a comment down below!


Check out this month’s update video!


Check out our other monthly updates!


Check out our video about our daily life as students in France!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *