3rd Year Abroad: Maxime in Bosnia and Herzegovina, A Tropism for The Balkans

My name is Maxime and I study at Sciences Po Undergraduate College, on the Dijon campus, minor European Union, Central and Eastern Europe.

I chose Sciences Po for the quality and multidisciplinary nature of its teaching, of course, but also the geographical specialisation of its campuses. That of Dijon was ideal for me because I have long had a tropism for Central Europe and more particularly the Balkans. This course offered me the opportunity to deepen multiple disciplines while refining my specialization during these three years of bachelor.

With a view to a professional career and wanting to discover for the first time this region that had made me dream since my childhood, I had placed all my wishes in Eastern Europe (Tirana, Thessaloniki, Belgrade…).

Of these, Sarajevo was at the top, a multicultural and historically unmissable city that could offer me many opportunities in terms of travel, politics and multiculturalism. My attraction for Balkan literature and the politics in vogue in the region facilitated this choice.

However, my experience at the University of Sarajevo was complex. I went through a rollercoaster of emotions but I feel that this year has been crucial in my life. I have made unforgettable trips and met the most wonderful people. I have also greatly improved my fluency in English and my knowledge of many subjects. But, far from the idyllic stay that I had imagined, I was often discouraged on a daily basis.

My experience in Bosnia and Herzegovina was fundamental. I think I went through bad times that highlighted my difficulties and my need to question myself, in order to work on my faults to improve myself. It helped me rethink my relationship with studies, set myself ambitious goals after big slumps related to isolation. I learnt that being clear and determined in any situation, asking for help, daring to assert yourself can help keep your spirits up, especially abroad.

At the start of the next academic year, I will be doing a Master's degree in history at Sciences Po School of Research with the ambition of continuing my study of the Balkans, particularly their Ottoman period. I will return to Sarajevo very often and I hope to be able to continue to criss-cross the region as part of my research work.
 

Do not stress about obtaining one choice or another, each experience is enriching and brings its share of surprises and wonders. Choose a destination that appeals to you, a crush, where you want to live.

Also, I advise any student to dare to insist with the interlocutors on site to have all the necessary information in hand and to have a peaceful stay with quality course monitoring. We do not always prepare a particular treatment for you and I was able to be confronted with a very different system of schooling and university follow-up which quickly made me lose my bearings.

The 3A anticipates a lot in imagination but reality can catch up with you, it is then a question of preserving yourself from bad experiences.

Dark and bright.