My Dual-Degree Experience

Two degrees, two countries, four years. That's what the CESEM double degree program between NEOMA Business School in France and the University of San Diego represents. The concept is simple but rare: you spend your first two years at NEOMA in Reims, France, then cross the Atlantic for two more years at USD in San Diego, California, and you graduate from both institutions with two fully recognized diplomas. This kind of dual degree partnership is still uncommon in the academic world, and most Americans I've met here had never heard of anything like it. But for me, it has been the most defining experience of my life.

When I started the program at 19 I did not really know what I was getting into. I knew I would be leaving France for two years. I knew there were nine schools to choose from. Four in Canada four in the US. A friend of my fathers who did the program told me I should go to the University of San Diego. He talked about it in a way that made me want to go. I also looked up the University of San Diego online and everything about it. The school, San Diego, the California lifestyle. Seemed perfect. So I decided to do it. I traveled for 24 hours. When I got to San Diego I was tired. I got to the school at 2am. They were not expecting me. After waiting for an hour someone helped me. We went to get tacos at Robertos, a classic San Diego spot. The morning I walked around the school and it was beautiful. The mix of the trip and the nice school set the tone for everything.

The dual degree program gave me more than book knowledge. Yes I learned about analysis, valuation and corporate finance which I would not have learned if I stayed in one place.. The best part was the experience. I traveled to Mexico and the US with students from different countries. We went to Cancun, La Paz, Mexico City, and Los Angeles. And what I remember most is the people I met, the hikes we did and the feeling of being free in a new place. These experiences taught me to be flexible, to be okay with not knowing what will happen and to find opportunities in situations. Skills that are important in finance and in life.

If you are a student thinking about a program like this I say go for it. Not because it is easy but because it is not. The difference in culture, the distance from family, the pressure of making friends in a new country. All of these things will make you stronger in ways that a classroom cannot. Research shows that students who study abroad are better at adapting to situations and communicating with people from different cultures, which is what employers, in finance and other fields, want. My advice is to take the leap even if you're scared. Especially if you are scared.