Bonjour à tous ! My name is Nicolas Horne and I am a junior at the University of Pittsburgh studying Finance and Accounting. I have most enjoyed my finance classes at Pitt and with my degree, I hope to land a role in the finance and banking industry in New York City. Outside of the classroom I love to cook, play tennis, and watch/read anything relating to James Bond. From my presence on this site, I’m sure it’s obvious I also love to travel. For my junior year, I am spending both semesters on exchange studying at NEOMA Business School in Reims, France. I have wanted to study abroad in France since about the age of 11 or 12 due to a long-standing fascination of Frech language and culture. I chose Reims since it is ideally situated close enough to Paris to make a day trip very easy, but far enough away to shed Paris’ touristy components and embody a more authentic French culture. While here, I hope to travel to 5 new countries, learn more about the working culture of the French financial industry, and meet French and international students in my classes to understand how education differs in our respective countries.
I am living in a studio apartment in a student residence called Kley, 5 minutes from the Reims train station and 10 minutes to city center. While smaller than most apartments in Pittsburgh, I have a kitchen with everything I need, a private bathroom, and a building full of other students and common areas. NEOMA Business School has two campuses here, both easily accessible by tram, and I will be taking the majority of my classes in Campus 2, which is closer to my residence. Since arriving, I have been mesmerized by this city of 170,000 residents. The city is incredibly walkable, and everything is easy to get to. It’s also highly picturesque, with 1920s art deco architecture flanking the gothic 800-year-old Cathédrale Notre Dame de Reims. As with any new location, some culture shocks have made adjusting a little challenging at times. The lack of air conditioning in most places makes hot days a little more uncomfortable, and many of the daily products I’ve grown accustomed to using in the United States are not available in stores here. Nonetheless, other differences have made the transition easier. I love being able to walk down the street and sit outdoors on a covered patio at a local brasserie and share a board of charcuterie with friends while people watching in the scenic city center.
Overall, I am excited to get to know my new French home better over the current school year, enjoy the delicacies of French cuisine, and take advantage of the European rail network to experience this continent and the cultures that call it home!
