SciencesPo and Reims: A Reversal of Expectations

At 7:30 a.m. the day before my flight to France, I registered for six classes that I was ecstatic about. My host university, SciencesPo, boasts prestigious alumni and small class sizes, which make it one of the most well-known universities in France. I was so excited to have been accepted into the program and looked forward to studying “the French way.”

On the other hand, the university was in Reims (pronounced rahnz), which is a smaller city about forty-five minutes outside of Paris by train. I had heard rumors of cold weather, unwelcoming people, and lack of things to do. But weighing the pros and cons, I decided that the school was worth the lackluster location. Now, halfway through the semester, reality has shown the reverse of my expectations.

The ‘Studying’ Part of Being Abroad

Being abroad is a constant adventure. Every day, I learn or experience something new about European culture.

One of the biggest cultural differences I’m experiencing is school. I often get asked what school is like in America. People ask me loads (look at me using some British vocab) of questions about my experiences in high school. Did you have a prom king and queen? What were football games like? How was your class schedule?

I really had no idea how different school was in Europe.

A Change of Pace

It’s been a month since I first packed up the necessities of my life and traveled across the country to live in an unfamiliar place. To me, college has made me realize that home really isn’t about the place I grew up or the feeling of familiarity I get when I walk into my room. To me, home is more the feeling of comfort I get when I am with the people who are part of my life. So when I first arrived in Spain, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to find that here.

Putting the STUDY, in Study Abroad

It may seem exciting that the University of Ghana uses the British grading system, because you can earn an A or B in your classes with lower scores than in the U.S. But all that excitement goes away when you find out that your classes consist of only an interim assessment (midterm), worth 30 percent if your grade, and a final exam worth 70 percent.

Chinese Nasreen

Nĭ hăo! Wŏ jiào, Nasreen! Hello! I am called, Nasreen! Learning the language Mandarin is incredible! I cannot believe I have never thought to learn it, let alone come explore the Chinese world. But here I am.

Registering for Classes and Exams in Germany

Last semester, registering for classes was intense. It was my first time learning how the system works in Germany and learning about the registration deadlines. But now in my second semester it was better because I’ve already been through it once. At the University of Mannheim, registering for classes is very different than registering for classes at SDSU.

Yes Parents, We’re Studying Too

When you think about study abroad, you think traveling, meeting new people and having the time of your life. This is all very true: I have made so many great friends and had life-altering experiences while abroad. But there are also those classes that I have had to attend, as well.

Learning in an International Environment

I’m five weeks into my year at Erasmus University in Rotterdam. The initial shock, hectic administrative responsibilities and the euphoria of a new school in a foreign country are coming to an end. Life is settling in and I’m feelin’ like a Rotterdammer!

Post-Soviet Universities and the American Perspective

I have never felt more spoiled and understood why people have this love-hate relationship with the United States until I walked into a classroom in the country of Georgia. I came with a group of about 18 other students from various majors for a two-week immersion on the geopolitical importance Georgia in the South Caucasus region. Yet I found myself in “classroom shock.”