The City of Light has seduced an endless list of illustrious men and women, including Hemingway, Marie Curie, Stravinsky, and Van Gogh, and Columbia University is just another victim of Parisian charm. Students can pursue preapproved study abroad programs sponsored by prominent French institutions like The Sorbonne, Sciences Po, and the École Polytéchnique. Most Columbia students, however, study in Paris through Columbia’s own program at its Reid Hall campus.

Columbia’s Parisian campus is conveniently located in the center of the city, near the Luxembourg Gardens in Montparnasse. The building was erected in the eighteenth century as a porcelain factory, but has served a myriad of other functions through the years, such as a hospital during WWI, and a refuge during WWII. It was bequeathed to Columbia University in 1964 and currently functions as an academic center for students and scholars alike.

Students study at Reid Hall throughout the school year and summer. The application to any of its programs, which consists of a statement of purpose, the Dean’s approval form, a transcript, and two recommendations (one from a language instructor), might be the simplest within the study abroad realm. Further simplifying the process, only Columbia approval is necessary, whereas other programs require that of the host’s school as well. The hard part: four semesters of French language are also required, and more are recommended for fuller immersion into Parisian life.

The courses at Reid Hall are generally regarded as exceptional. Taught by French professors in French, they maintain, overseas, the structure and academic rigor of Columbia courses. Even though the course listing includes courses in History, Art History, Film, and Political Science, the listing’s offerings are still rather limited. A popular course is “Paris in Context,” in which students explore this storied city through guided walking tours.

Students are also encouraged to pursue some of their additional courses at local universities, which provide a window into the higher education system in France. The view from this window, however, often disappoints Columbia students.

University courses in France are structured differently than those in America. Without syllabi, many of these classes seem poorly structured. Professors usually do not take questions in lectures. Discussion sections are based on oral presentations by students, which are then critiqued by other instructors. Many report feeling underwhelmed when comparing their workload at French universities to that back in New York.

The major benefit of studying at Columbia’s Reid Hall, though, is the uncharacteristic support that the Columbia administration provides to its students to help them navigate all of these options. Before their classes start, students must take an intensive 3-week French course, and students taking classes at a local university receive a tutor to help them adjust to the system and language. Conveniently, Reid Hall transfers your credits, including those from Parisian universities, back to Columbia. As a note of caution, your major department needs to approve any course with which you plan to fulfill major or concentration requirements.

Outside of class, Columbia encourages extracurricular side trips to various destinations throughout francophone Europe, ranging from champagne tasting to exploring Brussels in Belgium.

Reid Hall does not have dormitory buildings for students; other forms of housing are arranged instead. Students are encouraged to live with a Parisian family (which means anything from a young family of four to an elderly widow), but they may also live on their own in an apartment or at the student residencies of Cité Universitaire.

Housing is considered another weak aspect of the program. Many students complain that living with host families can feel more like being a renter than a family member. Also, the commute between Cite Universitaire and Reid Hall takes considerable time. Furthermore, Columbia does not allow its students to share apartments with other students, which can make life very lonely in a new city.

Many returning students also dislike that most of the acquaintances and friends that they made were fellow Americans at Reid Hall. In contrast to programs such as Middlebury’s, Columbia does not require participants to sign a language pledge. In the end, becoming friends with French people depends on personal commitment to forming these friendships.

The program at Reid Hall provides Columbia students with the priceless opportunity to live in Paris and to be immersed in its elegant culture while still ensuring sound academics and a strong support system. But the program has its negative aspects. Past participants point out that living in Paris, even with Reid Hall’s support, can be as difficult as moving always proves to be. Still, they nostalgically yearn for those magical days by the Seine.