ISEP student Yoann from Lille III (Université Charles de Gaulle) spent a year at Beloit College in Wisconsin. After studying abroad in the U.S., Yoann came back to get his master’s degree. Here he tells us how studying abroad in the U.S. led to video blogging and his own YouTube channel.
Why did you decide to study abroad?
I have always been passionate about English, the United States, and all the culture around it. When I was a senior I had the opportunity to study abroad, to perfect my English and to discover a new country and culture. I didn’t know it at that time, but this year abroad would change my entire life.
I went to Beloit College, Wisconsin, a small college where I met friends who I’m still in touch with and other people who are now a part of my family!
How did it change your life?
When I came back from the United States, I had only one wish: to go back! I finally found a way and applied to a master’s program to study and teach French at the same time (which is a great deal by the way) and that’s how I was on the way to my second adventure in the U.S.
I spent one year at West Virginia University in Morgantown, where I experienced being a grad student and a French teacher. Now I transferred to University of Wisconsin-Madison, where I found a different program that fits me better! I realized I wanted to help people studying in the United States and realize their dream that I had the opportunity to do.
What made you want to start a YouTube channel?
Being in the U.S for the second time, I realized that many people asked me questions about all of my experiences. "Is it like in the movies?“, "What it is it like to study at an American university?”, “How are the American supermarkets?”, “How can I study abroad too?”
One day I was on YouTube watching a video on someone’s vacation when I realized that I could do it too. I could use the amazing network of YouTube to answer all those questions, help people in a certain way and also to do something amazing: make people who can’t travel, virtually travel with me through my YouTube channel.
What do you want people to know when they go to the United States for the first time?
I’ve got videos on all kinds of subjects, but here are a few important ones:
How to go to the U.S. legally:
What to expect at an American university:
What to know about football:
What to expect on the Fourth of July:
Being French I make all my videos in French, but because I want to be able to reach everybody and share my lucky experience with as many people as possible, I subtitle all my videos in English. I started in early May and people loved it! I’m very happy that my channel is useful and entertaining, and it’s a different way to get ready for my future job!
You can watch more of my videos on my YouTube channel to see more of my experiences in the United States.
Interested in having an experience like Yoann’s? Let us know what you’re looking for, and we can start to match you with study abroad programs today.
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