Picture yourself strolling along the Seine after class, enjoying French cuisine, and visiting the French countryside on the weekend with your friends, for example, or anything your heart desires to do in Paris, France. This is just one vignette of an entire month’s journey that you can have while living in the heart of Paris this coming July, “experiencing its iconic museums, cuisine, and beauty,” as the trip’s website describes.
In cooperation with the European Studies Association (ESA), an anticipated 75-100 students, including LMC students, will have this special opportunity to live in central Paris dorms near Luxembourg Gardens, with easy access to such monuments as the Louvre and Notre Dame (which students will have the chance to see once it is newly rebuilt).
The program will be led by a team of seven professors, two of whom are from LMC. One is philosophy professor Edward Haven, who presented this information to LMC students over several workshops. In one workshop, Haven mentioned he will be teaching Humanities 23: Paris & Contemporary Humanities, a mandatory 3-unit Humanities class from 9 to 12, with a focus on post-World War II France (specifically from 1945 to 1960) and its cinema, philosophy, and art.
Classes will usually be in the morning, and then students will have the afternoon and evening for themselves.
“You can also do your own thing.” Haven added, “It’s a really great chance to see the city and the things you want to see.”
The other faculty who co-hosted the workshop is LMC’s own Jennifer Saito, who will be attending for the 2nd year in a row, this time closely working with ESA and acting as a knowledgeable guide to Paris.
“This is the first time you’ll have two LMC faculty members coming with you. You’ve got me, and you have Jennifer Saito.” Haven continued, “You have not just one but two professors that will be by your side as we travel, so it will be a really cool opportunity.”
During the Paris study abroad trip, there will always be something that caters to everyone’s interests. Whether you’re interested in the food, the fashion, or the art, you can pick from a wide array of activities and cultural events included in the trip. The program offers neighborhood walks, a Seine boat ride, museums (guided visits to the Louvre and Musée d’Orsay), ballet (Sleeping Beauty) or opera performances (Barber of Seville or Les Brigands in particular), a landscape painting class, wine and cheese tasting, a fashion exhibit, and much more.
Plus, a pass for unlimited métro and bus use in the Paris region, yet another commodity included in the program, will make it easy to get around. Of course, students will be able to see more of France and journey outside of Paris, including a day trip to Monet’s Giverny Gardens and Bizy Castle, the medieval town of Provins, where you will witness a knight’s tournament.
A notable highlight is an all-included three-day weekend trip to charming Alsace with two nights in Colmar and a visit to the Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle (all of which, fun fact for fans of Ghibli, inspired Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki for the 2004 animated Studio Ghibli film Howl’s Moving Castle). Needless to say, there will be something to do for each day of your trip, again, whatever your heart desires.
Now, here’s the lowdown on housing: LMC Students have a choice of two dorms, both of which do not have air conditioning (as is common in Europe, and Paris by extension – “it should be fine unless there’s a heatwave”) but do include student kitchens and continental breakfast daily.
The dorm “Sainte Famille” has a quieter atmosphere, includes weeknight dinners, and contains a garden as well as a downstairs library (where Professor Haven’s class will be taught). However, the twin rooms and most single rooms (for a $300 fee) have no private bathrooms, and there is no elevator or laundry room, yet it’s closer to the classroom.
The other dorm, “Rue de Condé,” is located in a lively part of Paris. It offers only breakfast but does have an elevator, private bathrooms, a lounge, a laundry room, a breakfast room, twin rooms with a private bath, and single rooms (for a $650 fee).
As you can see, they each have their own pros and cons. When deciding, keep in mind that this is somewhere you will be living for a month, so consider what will be a dealbreaker during that time.
As many of you may have been wondering, the program costs $4,250, with an optional airfare from SFO costing $1,640. It’s important to note that this doesn’t account for the expenses of lunch, dinner (if you live in Rue de Conde), incidentals, independent travel, passports, visas, textbooks, laundry, LMC tuition, insurance, or pocket money.
This may seem like a lot of money, especially to us college students, but consider everything being offered: lodging in one of Paris’s best neighborhoods for one whole month, with breakfast every morning, a wide variety of activity programs, trips, even a 1-month bus/métro pass, plus the unforgettable experiences you will be having while studying abroad.
Professor Haven noted, “If you do the math on that, and think about how much it costs to rent an apartment in San Francisco, for example, for a month…this is a steal.”
Professor Jen Saito has been working with the ESA to figure out how to make this affordable for students, so the cost has been reduced from where it was before. If the current cost is still not affordable for your financial situation, don’t worry; plenty of opportunities are offered to help mitigate the cost.
Professor Edward Haven offered information about discounts and money-saving tips in the study abroad workshop, including scholarship opportunities. The Gilman Scholarship offers up to $ 3,000 based on need, is open to students receiving Pell Grants, and has a 25% acceptance rate.
Additional scholarship opportunities include a scholarship offered only to LMC students, amounting to $750 at the beginning of next year. ESA is offering another scholarship, ranging from $100 to $500, which requires an essay and letter of recommendation due May 1st, 2025. Students were also encouraged to start a GoFundMe, especially during the holiday season, as students could ask their families to contribute to their GoFundMe instead of a typical gift.
To learn more, you are encouraged to visit LMC’s website and search “Paris 2025” for brief highlights or visit ESA’s website directly at esaparis.org to apply and view the Humanities Brochure for LMC students. Email Professor Haven at [email protected] and Jenn Saito at [email protected] for any questions.
