For the next couple of months I will be dazzling you with stories of love, betrayal, deception, integration, translation, and cultural exploration. As you accompany me in my journey of self-discovery and shenanigans, I must warn you... this will be a great deal of fun. I will not be held responsible for the hours of sleep you lose waiting for my and my fellow patriots posts.
Weeks 1 and 2
The University
Lets begin by saying that I have never been a fan of the 10 stop shop... I mean the one stop shop. But, as I have quickly found out, you don't realize what you have until its gone. The University of Starsbourg has separate schools just like GSU does. There is the Ecole de Management (Buisniess school) and the Science Po [totally misspelled that] (Political Institute). Unlike GSU though, these schools are their own independent entities and work with the University of Strasbourg, but are basically individually managed. This means that each school has their own registration days and operate on different schedules. To make things even more fun, class start on Monday but registration is on Tuesday. This means that if you have a Monday class you have to go to it when you are not even signed up for it. Furthermore, going to class does not guarantee you a spot, so you might be sitting in a class you will not be able to sign up for. All these fun differences make it very complicated to fix a problem if one were to arise.
Another fun adventure is your student ID card. Imagine an empty room in GCB. Now put in there some chairs for a waiting room, a desk with 2 chairs and a reception desk. Now imagine every single exchange student and transfer student trying to get their ID card. Lets just say I met a lot of people that day.
Classes
For some unknown reason classes change classrooms every time you meet. On Wednesday my French class is in the basement and then on Friday its on the 3rd floor. They give us a sheet that has all the rooms for each day but these can be changed the day of the class. They have a board that is updated hourly that is the only valid source of information. When I say its updated I mean they scratch off the old number and write in the new classroom.
But the French do have something I like a lot. I have a class that starts on April 13th (Wednesday) and my final is on April 15th (Friday). It does meet for 8 hours a day but who does not love cramming and caffein. Also classes don't meet on a regular schedule. My Economics of the Economic Union class meets every Tuesday but then in March we meet once and then in April we meet twice. Also, professors love taking breaks. in one of my classes we have 10 minute coffee breaks to relax and get coffee if we choose to. We only have one or two grades (Final and midterm or just final) so its important to not miss class. Overall, classes are really interesting and I am learning a lot.
French
I am going to be fluent by the end of this trip. Unfortunately, when everyone around you speaks English, this is harder than just going to class. To truly learn you have to integrate yourself with the locals. I have found that The Irish Pub has done wonders for my French. For 3 Euros, 6 Euros, 9... whose counting... my French becomes a thing of second nature. We have been very lucky to have Val who is fluent in French. I managed to open a bank account and get minutes on my own so it really is getting better. Im sure this will be the source of many stories.
Girls
You thought I would give all the good stuff on my first post?
Things to do
The Chateau staff is really good at regularly having activities for us. This Saturday we actually have a huge BBQ that will have all you can eat food and really cheap drinks. Most of us also joined the BDI. The BDI is the club that is responsible for making the foreign exchange students feel at home. They host parties on Thursdays and provide a "buddy" if you are a member. A Buddy is a person assigned to you who you can practice your French with. We will get our Buddies on January 30th. They also give you a sweet bracelet.
Sven
Think Chuck Norris squared. He is our fearless leader who is never late. He moves at the speed of light and will catch you if you leave your light on. Electricity is 3 times more expensive here than in the US, so he is big on that. Also, if you make him angry he will make you death. This I promise.
Too many stories, yet so little time. I hope everyone back home is enjoying the cold and get ready for the next one.
If anyone is thinking about doing this trip... stop thinking and pay your deposit.
Enrique C.
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