Studying Abroad with AHS 3003: Nongnah's Story

This week, we're featuring a guest blog post about a student's experience, memories, and findings studying abroad in France, written by Nongnah Her.       

Nongnah Her is a senior studying Biology, with a minor in Public Health and Leadership. Her studied abroad through AHS 3003: Sustainable Approaches to Health in France. 

Why France: Goals and Learning Expectations

I always knew that I wanted to study abroad but thought it would be too difficult to go abroad for a whole semester and graduate on time. I’m really interested in Global Health, so traveling to new countries and gaining new perspectives is one of my biggest goals. So instead of trying to fit a semester-long program into my graduation plan, I searched for a May term session. It was the best decision I’ve ever made! 

Ultimately, I chose to study abroad with the AHS 3003: Sustainable Approaches to Health in France class. Before getting into the class, I was hoping this experience would allow me to see how healthcare systems work in other countries. After completing the class, I learned so much more than I could have ever imagined about France and its innovative healthcare.

Arrival in France: First Impressions and Navigation 

Traveling to a new country was extremely exciting and nerve-racking at the same time. However, once we arrived in France, all my nerves turned into eagerness. Exploring a different country meant experiencing everything new for the first time. And, these new experiences provided countless opportunities to get out of my comfort zone and learn new things about myself. 

One of my biggest worries was not knowing how to handle the language barrier. But I was pleasantly surprised to find how easy it was to get around only knowing English. And one of the most fun parts of the trip for me was learning very limited but helpful French vocab and pretending to be a local. I was surprised by how quickly I adjusted to living in France and not being afraid to explore the city on my own.

Balancing Travel with Responsibilities: 

One of my favorite places we visited while in France was the Cévennes National Park. Staying overnight with a local tour guide in such a historical place was just as fun as exploring the cities in France. I absolutely love big cities and would usually choose being surrounded by a lively city environment over being in the woods. But hiking up to stay in a cozy, secluded house with the rest of my classmates was such a great bonding experience that couldn’t be recreated anywhere else. Plus, it was so cool to learn about the history of the Cévennes and the people that still live there. Although this trip entailed the most hiking I think I’ve ever done in my life, the views and experiences were worth it. I can now say I’ve crossed a river while hiking up a mountain with a donkey named Nelson!

Looking Back: Favorite Memories and Advice 

It’s impossible for me to choose just one favorite memory from studying abroad. But one of the most impactful experiences was playing soccer on the beach with some local people who lived in the city. I think this memory is so meaningful because it set the tone for the rest of the trip. It was only our second day in France and the class took a trip to the beach. As we were all about to leave, out of the blue, a few of us stayed behind to start playing soccer with some local teenagers. We ended up staying for a few more hours just talking and getting to know them. 

Although there was a language barrier, it didn’t take long for any awkwardness to subside and for us to start joking around and having fun. We did end up utilizing Google Translate a lot that day, but it was so great to interact with locals around our age for the first time and find relatable things to talk about. It was also cool to get the chance to ask them questions about growing up in France.

My advice for anyone planning to study abroad is to not be afraid of talking to and getting to know the new and random people you’ll meet. Talking with locals made me feel much more comfortable being in an unfamiliar city and willing to ask questions. And comparing my experiences growing up in the US to theirs in France gave me new perspectives I never would have expected. Overall, my experience in France exploring innovative and sustainable health practices opened my eyes to what could be improved back home in the US. And this experience made me recognize how important it was to actually spend time in France instead of just learning about their practices in a classroom setting. Immersing ourselves in the culture helped me understand why their practices work so well for the people living there. This whole experience and my new outlooks will change the way I approach Public Health in my future career.

Thank you for writing for the PHSRC Pulse, Nongnah Her!