<p>Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Copenhagen, or Helsinki? </p>
<p>Any experience stories would be much appreciated!</p>
<p>Thank you</p>
<p>Do you speak any of the local languages? Even if you are going to be taught in English, you will need at least the basics of the local language to get by (shopping, getting on a bus etc), and ideally more so you can socialise. </p>
<p>If you don’t, then Berlin will be much better than Paris. It’s a great city (I wouldn’t mind living there), and most people have at least a smattering of English, whereas the French are notorious for not speaking English, even if they can IYSWIM.</p>
<p>Hi !
I’m a French studying in Paris. Although it is a beautiful city it is hard to live as a student as it is quite expensive above all if you want to go out regularly. Accommodations are very hard to find and they are expensive (I pay 560/month for 161.5 sq ft). However, I enjoy a lot culture and there are always good things to do!
A friend of mine lives in Berlin and when I heard her, I really think that it is a good place to study. It is less expensive and it is the ideal place for partying! Anyway, if you want more information to study abroad in European cities, check this site: [url=<a href=“http://globaliseme.com/GERMANY.html]GERMANY[/url”>http://globaliseme.com/GERMANY.html]GERMANY[/url</a>]. There are a lot of tips for students and videos so it could help you to make the right choice!</p>
<p>I think a good rule of thumb (for some people) is: where would I be unlikely to visit on my own? From that perspective, I think Helsinki would be more interesting and likely push you farther outside your comfort zone than, say, Paris.</p>
<p>Check out The Swedish Program, which is in Stockholm. I know of one student who did that program a couple of years ago and one that will be going this fall. Seems like an interesting place to study.</p>
<p>I agree with the above poster, go somewhere that is out of the ordinary. The problem with Paris is that while it’s beautiful you won’t get as much contrast from culture in the US as you would at a place like Stockholm, Helsinki, Amsterdam.</p>
<p>Just keep in mind what you’re looking for.</p>
<p>My son did a month in Paris this past summer with a Humanities class and loved it! Wished he could have stayed a semester or year – so much to see and do. He spent a weekend in Amsterdam and was not impressed. A weekend in Belgium and said it was one of the most picturesque places he had ever seen. Good luck!</p>
<p>My D1 studied in Helsinki for a semester. Honestly, I think she would not recommend it to others. There is a reason there are very few study abroad programs there. Helsinki is fine to visit for a few days, but there are a variety of things that make it a less preferable place for a whole semester or a year. My D did speak Finnish before she went, too, so it wasn’t about the language or culture barrier. I went with her and traveled in Finland & Sweden for a couple of weeks before her semester, so have some flavor for Helsinki & Stockholm. PM me if you want to know more.</p>
<p>Agree with radiohead that Amsterdam probably is also not a great choice. The other four cities would be excellent. </p>
<p>As EliseJ says about housing in Paris, housing is a big problem in many of these cities. There are pros and cons to going with a program that provides housing. The obvious pro is that you don’t have to deal with the hassle of finding the housing, and you probably have a set expense you know before you go. A con is that you will likely live with other American students, so less exposure to the culture 24x7. But it is extremely difficult to find housing from abroad in many cases before you arrive, and very stressful to arrive without housing lined up. For my D2, who is just starting college, we will probably encourage her to go with a school sponsored program that provides housing, but try to make sure she gets out into the city/culture as much as possible outside of her housing experience. If you find your own housing, you may scramble like crazy, then end up in something like a studio sublet in a neighborhood with no students (what happened with D1 in Helsinki), which isn’t really much of a cultural experience anyway.</p>