First Impressions from Micaela
Hello, my name is Micaela Chamon and I am an international student from Bolivia. I am majoring in International Studies, Political Science, and French, with a minor in Latin American Studies. I decided to partake in the USAC Lyon, France study abroad program to ameliorate my French language skills. The idea of studying abroad can be difficult. A different country, different friends, and in most cases a different language. The excitement of it outweighed the fears that I had so I decided to go for it. Although French culture is quite familiar for me because of an exchange program that I did in high school, many aspects of me have struck me more now, as a college student. Having been here for a month now, these are the most important things I have learned:
First Impressions from Annabelle
My name is Annabelle Ackling and I am a junior studying International Studies and Political Science and minoring in French. I am studying abroad in Lyon, France with the USAC program. My semester long study abroad experience has been one of ups and downs. I have quickly found many friends from all around the States, most who have never been to Arkansas before. Adjusting to the French culture has been a different experience than what I predicted.
One of the first things to strike me was the city-wide frowns. Even store clerks who are required to be friendly will not smile to you. Spending my whole life in the south I naturally smile anytime I make eye contact with someone. People do not do that here, and I have received some odd glances because of my smiling nature.
Another is the youth night life cultural norms. I have experienced a vast array of night life scenes including an underground punk-rock show and an EDM night club. The oddest part is that the majority do not come out until 1am, and will stay out until the sun rises. Last week when my program took a day trip to ski in the French Alps I needed to be on the bus by 6am. On my way to the bus I saw many students on their way home from the night festivities.
The French culture is very “laissez faire.” A couple of weeks ago my toilet’s water stopped working and I needed a maintenance person to come fix it. I emailed the personnel in charge of such a task on Thursday and was told someone would not be able to look at it until Tuesday. Not knowing anyone else in my building and in a place where there are limited public restrooms I was concerned. Luckily my program director came out and fixed it by simply turning a knob. Stores will close halfway through the day for a two hour lunch break, and nothing is open 24/7.
I was concerned that my French skills would hinder being around many English speaking students, but after being here for one month, I am already able to recognize my improvements. Classes here are two hours long with averaging three classes a day. Six hours of French in one day is exhausting comparing to the 50 minute classes I am used to, but engulfing myself into the language has already improved my listening and oral skills within one week of classes. Simply being constantly surrounded by the language is recorded by my subconscious and has enhanced my understanding of the language.
Things that I have had to get used to is the use of a 24 hour clock. I have eaten cheese and bread with every meal. I have not set foot in a car. I walk everywhere which once added up to 17 miles in one day. I have already visited three countries and will be traveling to Rome this weekend and Copenhagen and Amsterdam the following week. I feel as if I have much time left, but as I realize I am already a month into my program I know how quickly this time will end.
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Micaela & Annabelle are spending the Spring 2018 semester studying in Lyon, France through USAC.
Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/
- Being surrounded by American students from plenty of universities from around the country, I guess I never realized how loud we tend to be in comparison to Europeans, how accommodated our needs are, how incredibly warm our waiting staff usually is at a restaurant, or how valuable free water is. But the one thing that I have struggled the most here is probably meeting other French students. As an international student in Arkansas, I really didn’t struggle with making friends. I consider myself quite social, so I didn’t think France would be any different. Well, I was wrong. I quickly learned that if you don’t put yourself out there and try to meet other locals, the only friends you will have are the ones that are participating in your program. Although it isn’t a bad thing, it doesn’t allow you to fully immerse yourself in the culture or to learn the language fully.
- French is SO much harder than what we learn in class. Expressions, idioms, and ways to pronounce words are certain parts of it that you can’t learn unless you’re in the actual country. Words are cut in half, people speak so fast, and expressions play a huge role in daily conversation. This is one of the reasons that I kind of regretted not choosing homestay as my living option. Being surrounded by the language in every aspect of your life at the beginning is shocking, to say the least, but it’s the best way to learn it. It’s so easy to fall back on other American students and the commodity of English, but with a host family you don’t really have another option but to speak the language and learn more about the culture through them and their customs.
- Everything closes SO early. This past weekend, after skiing in the French Alps, I got the flu. I was in bed for a solid 36-hour period unable to move. Desperately, I looked up pharmacies around the area, and although there were plenty, all of them were closed on Sundays. Supermarkets open from 9am-12pm. A lot of restaurants don’t even open, and even metro, bus, and tram times are all reduced. On regular days, nothing is open after 9pm, but strangely enough, bars and clubs don’t get busy until 1am. Also, restaurants aren’t open throughout the whole day. They open at noon, close at 4pm, re-open at 7pm, and close at 10pm.
- Europeans are very relaxed. In the past three weeks, I have already been to Switzerland and Italy. Something I have realized in all three countries is that people are a lot more relaxed. Women just leave their purses when they get up to get something, children walk freely behind their parents, and people leave their backpacks on top of tables. It’s almost as if no one is worried about anything getting stolen or their children being kidnapped. Also, going from country to country has been incredibly easy. Border control barely checks your passport for protocol, but you can go anywhere within the Schengen area without a problem.
My name is Annabelle Ackling and I am a junior studying International Studies and Political Science and minoring in French. I am studying abroad in Lyon, France with the USAC program. My semester long study abroad experience has been one of ups and downs. I have quickly found many friends from all around the States, most who have never been to Arkansas before. Adjusting to the French culture has been a different experience than what I predicted.
One of the first things to strike me was the city-wide frowns. Even store clerks who are required to be friendly will not smile to you. Spending my whole life in the south I naturally smile anytime I make eye contact with someone. People do not do that here, and I have received some odd glances because of my smiling nature.
Another is the youth night life cultural norms. I have experienced a vast array of night life scenes including an underground punk-rock show and an EDM night club. The oddest part is that the majority do not come out until 1am, and will stay out until the sun rises. Last week when my program took a day trip to ski in the French Alps I needed to be on the bus by 6am. On my way to the bus I saw many students on their way home from the night festivities.
The French culture is very “laissez faire.” A couple of weeks ago my toilet’s water stopped working and I needed a maintenance person to come fix it. I emailed the personnel in charge of such a task on Thursday and was told someone would not be able to look at it until Tuesday. Not knowing anyone else in my building and in a place where there are limited public restrooms I was concerned. Luckily my program director came out and fixed it by simply turning a knob. Stores will close halfway through the day for a two hour lunch break, and nothing is open 24/7.
I was concerned that my French skills would hinder being around many English speaking students, but after being here for one month, I am already able to recognize my improvements. Classes here are two hours long with averaging three classes a day. Six hours of French in one day is exhausting comparing to the 50 minute classes I am used to, but engulfing myself into the language has already improved my listening and oral skills within one week of classes. Simply being constantly surrounded by the language is recorded by my subconscious and has enhanced my understanding of the language.
Things that I have had to get used to is the use of a 24 hour clock. I have eaten cheese and bread with every meal. I have not set foot in a car. I walk everywhere which once added up to 17 miles in one day. I have already visited three countries and will be traveling to Rome this weekend and Copenhagen and Amsterdam the following week. I feel as if I have much time left, but as I realize I am already a month into my program I know how quickly this time will end.
Micaela & Annabelle are spending the Spring 2018 semester studying in Lyon, France through USAC.
Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/
