You Don't Need a Reason to Study in France

Bonjour! It's Yoko. I left my husband in Tokyo and went to study in France.

When I told people, "I'm quitting my job to study abroad!", almost everyone asked me the same thing: what was my purpose?

Maybe you're thinking, "I'd love to study in France, but I don't really have a clear purpose... is that okay?"

The short answer: you don't need a purpose, and if you don't have one, you can figure it out once you get there!

Think of it as a trip, not "studying abroad"

Say you want to go to Hawaii over Golden Week.
Would anyone say, "I'm going to Hawaii because I want to eat loco moco"?

Okay, sure, I'd want to eat it too (lol).

But the destination usually comes first, doesn't it?

Hawaii? New York? Paris? Maybe the south of France...

Of course, if you decide "I'm going abroad to do XYZ," you can make XYZ happen.

But I think fixating on XYZ can also make you miss other wonderful things along the way.

So let's keep it light!

A purpose will bubble up on its own before your departure date.

My reasons for studying in France

I did have a few rough goals!

I managed to do all of it! That said, for the Europe trip I planned the route and booked every hotel after I arrived.

Honestly, even thinking back on it, it was a hassle and exhausting (lol).

But I was already in Europe, and not using that chance felt like a waste of airfare!
That push is what got me to so many different places.

I combined studying with traveling around Europe, but some of the friends I made there on working holidays didn't go to language school at all. What you do is up to you.

Having just one thing you really want to do is enough!

Take the first step!

I'm planning to write up separately where to start when preparing to study abroad, but if you just dither, time flies.

Start researching right away: estimating travel costs, how long you want to stay...

A visa application is said to take about three months.

And if you're around thirty, let's not dawdle.

On a working holiday visa you can earn your living expenses there, but if you're past the age limit, you can't do that either!

By the way, I arranged everything myself, including where to stay, the school and the plane tickets, and it was hard work...

If you plan to go to a language school, agencies gather real, up-to-date information, so if you can afford it, I think it's worth asking them for support.

You only live once! You don't need a purpose to study abroad.

Gather your courage and take off. The purpose will follow later!