The Paris Expiration Date
As graduation approaches, a familiar panic sets in for some, while for others, the dust has already settled. Some have secured their first steps; others are still navigating the uncertainty of the job hunt. For many The American University of Paris students, the defining debate is simple yet agonizing: "Should I stay or should I go?"
During a recent session, an AUP therapist told me this is the most common conflict students bring to her. She described it as an onion with endless layers; she has immense empathy for us, knowing that those outside the "AUP bubble" may never truly understand the weight of this choice.
While remaining in France presents intense bureaucratic hurdles and professional obstacles, the prospect of leaving is, for many, too depressing to contemplate. For international students, leaving Paris isn't just a physical departure. It’s an emotional uprooting. We are leaving behind lives built brick by brick. Navigating a foreign country and a language barrier at eighteen was a trial by fire. Every task, from finding a community to simply mastering the Monoprix self-checkout, was hard-won. Yet, against the odds, we bloomed here. We built rich, vibrant lives despite knowing an expiration date existed. Now, that day has arrived.
I asked five graduating students, all of whom have called AUP home since their freshman year, about their next steps.
Miranda, a Brooklyn native, is among those who find it too difficult to leave. She plans to remain in Paris for another year in a French language program, due to her unwillingness to move back home. Flor, from Sonoma, feels similarly; she’ll stay in Paris for a transition period until a job, internship, or master’s program deems her next move.
Conversely, Avery, another New Yorker, and Genaro, from the Netherlands, are eager to see what exists outside the safety of the bubble. For many, Paris has been a "Dreamland." A city where we felt safe, surrounded by friends, enjoying the freedom of the world’s best city (no bias intended) with few responsibilities beyond deciding how to spend the afternoon. As May approaches, they are preparing to step out of the dream and into reality, which, for many, is the "rude awakening" of corporate America.
Mary Brooks, from North Carolina, captures the financial reality of the transition as the flow of monthly allowance comes to a clear end: “I would love to stay in Paris, but finding a job that pays enough to support that life is difficult. Not to mention the visa process is a nightmare, far more complex than the student visa ever was. I have a better chance of making a living in the States, so I’ll head back for a few years and hopefully return to Paris later.”
This is the reality for so many of us. Reflecting on the day our parents dropped us off in Paris four years ago, it's clear we have changed in immense ways. Paris has given so many of us confidence, as well as a vision of what life can be like. We always knew the expiration date was coming. Now that it’s here, all I can say is: Thank you, Paris, for giving us the world.
Congratulations to the Class of 2026! And best of luck!
