Knowledge comes but wisdom lingers. It may not be difficult to store up in the mind a vast quantity of facts within a comparatively short time but the ability to form judgments requires the severe discipline of hard work and the tempering heat of experience and maturity.
France and the whole of Europe have a great culture and an amazing history. Most important thing though is that people there know how to live! In America they've forgotten all about it. I'm afraid that the American culture is a disaster.