I just got done spending another semester abroad. This time, all I can think is:

It's about damn time.

After four months at GT-Europe's campus, I have concluded that Georgia Tech's decision to position its largest international campus in the city of Metz, France is an absolute tragedy for the entire student population wishing to study abroad.

Where am I coming from?

First, I think it is important to note that I am a French citizen.

I also happen to speak French fluently.

This is my second experience abroad, and it's no secret how much I loved the first one.

To the casual observer, it appears that there would be no better starting conditions for a student to have an amazing study abroad experience.

However, because of this background, what ended up happening was that I saw Georgia Tech-Europe and Metz, France for what it was.

It wasn't pretty.

The Good

Let's at least acknowledge the few things that Georgia Tech-Europe, and Metz, France get right.

• An International Campus Exists At All: There are many universities that are on-par with Georgia Tech who do not have an international campus, nor do they push study abroad as much at GT does. Tech definitely deserves props for having something rather than nothing.
• Public transportation: In Metz, it's easy to get around using the bus. While good public transportation is not unique to Metz, kudos to them–the public transport did what it was supposed to
• Affordability: Both Metz and GT-Europe are affordable. The cost of living in Metz is insanely low–renting my apartment in Metz for the entire semester was comparable in price to one month of rent in Atlanta.
  
  While the price of GT-Europe for out-of-state undergrads has gone up, graduate students still pay in-state rates, regardless of if they are from Georgia or not.
• Diversity of perspective: Georgia Tech-Europe's graduate program is made up of a lot of international students. I became friends this semester with people from France, Spain, Italy, and India. For a program of around 100 students, I thought that was really cool.
  
  The undergrad program is pretty much exclusively GT students, but I saw a lot of them benefitting from befriending international grad students.

The Bad

Okay, onto the bad stuff. Brace yourself.

• The Location: This is probably the single worst part about GT's international campus. Not only is it located in Metz, which is a mediocre, mid-sized French city without much going on, but it's not even located anywhere near the center of Metz.
  
  It's 20 minutes by bike or bus to the city center from campus, which makes it horribly inconvenient to partake in any of the few things to do in the city. The location is absolutely horrendous.
  
  When students dream of studying abroad in Europe, they're imagining the beaches of Barcelona, the bikability of Amsterdam, or the history of Rome. They're not thinking about living on the outskirts of a city that completely shuts down after 10:00 PM.
• The Weather: I understand that the weather in the region is generally pretty lousy during the time of the year that I was in Metz, but seriously? I don't think I saw the sun during the month of November. It's downright depressing from October until March.
  
  So you're 20 minutes from the city center of a midsized French town, and its presumably cold and rainy. Every day.
  
  I don't think I could possibly imagine a less ideal European living situation.
• The "Campus": One building that likely hasn't been remodeled for over 30 years. One measly lounge with vending machines that still haven't figured out how to accept credit card as payment. A computer lab with no natural light.
  
  My working theory is that Georgia Tech was probably just gifted the building by the city of Metz decades ago and it was an offer for them that was too good to refuse.
  
  Honestly, probably should have refused it.

• The Food: France has arguably one of the best cuisines in the entire world and Georgia Tech-Europe everything in their power to ensure you miss out on experiencing it.
  
  First, consider that the quintessential French breakfast experience includes going to a boulangerie for some fresh bread products like a crossaint, pain au chocolat, or baguette. In a city like Paris, these exist on practically every street corner, and it honestly might be one of the best breakfast experiences in the world.
  
  The nearest boulangerie to GT-Europe is a 13-minute walk, and is in the opposite direction from where the majority of students live, making it impractical to incorporate the greatest daily habit of French culture into your study abroad experience.
  
  There is a Paul (large French restaurant chain) that's 8 minutes from campus, but that would be like studying abroad in America, wanting to try a real American cheeseburger, and then eating at McDonald's. You'd be experiencing the worst that the country has to offer.
  
  For lunch, within walking distance you again have Paul, and a tiny sandwhich shop. The only other options are to cook for yourself, or go to the nearby CROUS, which is the closest thing to a dining hall that you can find in France. For €3.30, you are served bland food whose portion size would barely sustain a petite high school girl, and you are refused any pleading to add an extra portion of protein to your plate.
  
  It's a shame that I spent four months in a country whose cuisine is world-renowned, but each meal was a thrice-daily struggle to maintain my sanity.

Why do Students Like Metz?

If you go to Georgia Tech, chances are you've encountered a student who studied abroad in Metz and loved it. Given all the above, how can that be the case?

I've compiled a few theories.

1. They spend as little time in Metz as possible: If I could have, I would have done the same. Unfortauntely, the academic expectations for grad students were a little greater than undergrads.
2. They don't speak French: I thought speaking French would be a blessing, but it was almost more of a curse. It enabled me to better integrate into the city, and talk to anyone I wanted. In doing so, I got a far clearer picture of Metz than I would've liked, and for all the wrong reasons.
   
   As a generalization, French people are not very friendly, but you wouldn't realize it unless you actually engage with them. Because most GT students don't speak French, they very seldom probably did.
3. They don't know any better: If you've never been abroad or understand how fun it can be to live in a cool city for a semester, than you might not have a frame of reference for what is good or bad.
   
   Sometimes, ignorance is bliss.

What Should Georgia Tech Do Instead?

GT should consider scraping the entire Georgia Tech-Europe campus in its current form and starting over.

It would be painful because the campus is actually home to quite a bit of research that would have to move as well, but if Georgia Tech wants to have a study abroad program that students can get some real tangible benefit out of, and it is serious about the Strategic Plan 2020-2030 pillar of Connecting Globally, then it would move its campus to a city that students can enjoy spending Monday-Thursday in.

Paris would be a great option, but most big cities would work.

Doing so would mean that students don't actually have to leave every weekend to have a great study abroad experience.

Ideally the city would also have an airport, so that students who wish to travel and have already visited Paris, Luxembourg, Brussels, and Amsterdam can have somewhere to go without needing to spend 18 hours round-trip on a train.

It would probably mean leasing space in a building rather than owning it, but who cares? Students would be so much happier.

GT should also be doing a better job of pushing its exchange offerings. Having now done both, I believe exchange programs are superior because you're at a different university in a different country with a new culture and a world of new people to meet.

I believe the point of studying in a foreign country for a semester is to expand your worldview, and exchange programs accomplish this much more effectively study abroad programs.

While GT students will probably continue to rave about Metz, France for years to come, I believe it to be misguided praise due to the countless problems stated above, which Georgia Tech should really consider fixing.