Hello. I’m Ezra Ward Mable, a senior French major here at the U of A. This summer, I’ll be studying abroad in Besançon, France. It will be my first time out of the US. I haven’t even spent much time out of Arkansas. How sad is that? I wasn’t sure if I would even be eligible for the program. I took a chance anyway. To my surprise and great satisfaction, I was accepted. It’s good that I tried, eh? Two weeks… That’s how much time there is until my journey. It seems like so long away. At the same time, it seems too soon. Already I’m panicked about bringing just the right things and just being generally prepared for the whole situation. I’ve already taken care of things such as contacting banks and making copies of documents. I’ve made packing lists, compared them to suggested lists, and checked them twice. Still, it just feels as if something is missing. But, hey, all I can really do is follow the suggestions of the Study Abroad office, advisors, and former study abroad students. They are pretty thorough in their advice. It’s going to be okay. I won’t ever speak the language perfectly. I’m participating in this program because I’m well aware of that fact. There’s no need to get all bogged down with cramming for the big day of the placement test that I'll have to take when I get there. A little ear training, a review of some of the more useful daily vocabulary to get around, a lot of deep breathing… I’m good to go. I can spend my time scheduling what I’m going to do during my free time when I’m there. I don’t want to be stuck twiddling my thumbs or missing my flight home because I winged it. Bring on the fun!
