Premier Jour D'école

On Monday I woke up and walked to the train station to travel north to the Paris suburb of Cergy for my first day of school. The program I am enrolled in is a three week MBA study abroad class called "The Global Manager in Europe" at ESSEC Business School.  The commute was about an hour door to door on the RER A line.  The train was very crowded for the first few stops but after the stop at La Defense in the financial district most people got off and I was able to sit and watch the French countryside going past out my window. 

When I arrived in Cergy, it was much different that Paris.  There was a mix of 1970's era architecture along with a few more modern buildings.  Using the directions from the school, I walked across the plaza to the ESSEC buildings, and made my way inside to my first class.

We began the first class with an introduction of the 40 students who would be in the program together for the next three weeks. The group is by far the most diverse group I have ever been a part of.  Along with my fellow Chicagoans from Booth and Kellogg, there are students from business schools in Canada, Australia, Finland, Japan, South Korea, Columbia, Mexico, Italy, and France!

 We finished the day with a lego tower building competition. Nerdy but a fun way to get to know people :)

After class a few of us went back to Paris for wine and dinner at a cafe.  It seems like a really fun group so far and I am looking forward to the rest of our three weeks together!