Hello there! This week, we're off to the United States and the great state of Oregon, where it's great to live and study. Focus on a state known for its Peace and Love, as well as one of the top 500 universities in the world...
Where is Oregon again?
Well, simply on the Pacific Ocean, in the west of the States, sandwiched between Washington State (not Washington DC, eh!) and California. Its capital is Salem (but nothing to do with the witches of Salem, Massachusetts) and its biggest city is Portland. Incidentally, Oregon is also known as the "Beaver" state. Oregon's climate is highly variable, due to the state's geography, and varies from oceanic to Mediterranean, desert and alpine. On the whole, however, Oregon is known to be relatively warm, with heavy rainfall resulting in beautiful greenery in summer. And who says greenery says...? Tree-Huggers (or hippies)!
Indeed, Oregon is known to be very Baba-Cool, and Portland often trustees the Top 5 hippiest cities in the country. This is due to a climate, once again, quite warm, but also to a culture of resourcefulness and open-mindedness. Take Portland, for example. There, in the working world, you can put away suits, ties and suits. Portlanders work in jeans or second-hand clothes, and it's very common to see company executives tattooed or pierced. Also, many employers let their employees bring their dogs to work. And yes, when you know that the presence of a pet reduces your blood pressure and stress level, you think that letting employees bring Rex or Kiki to work isn't so stupid (I'll forgive that pun)?
In short, if you feel like leaving the gloomy French environment to recharge your batteries while studying, don't hesitate to consider Oregon and, for example, the very reputable Oregon State University in Corvallis, especially if you are interested in environmental studies or if you want to obtain an American Master's degree after your bachelor's degree (bac+3).