Immediately stepping into EM Strasbourg it was a culture shock. There was a live band, a cafeteria in the middle of the school, and bright decorations everywhere around the school. While this is completely different than what we have in College Station I found it to be less of a home feeling than I find Wehner. The lecture rooms however are a lot more spacious and give us more room to work rather than Room 113. Professor Rossi is teaching our International Finance class and he has been doing an incredible job. I have learned so much about exchange rates and think this will be helpful as I hopefully continue to study abroad later. Strasbourg is a beautiful town full of rich history. The river is a defining piece of the town and wherever you walk you always end up finding yourself standing in front of the cathedral which towers above the surrounding square. It’s a great place to have as a home base as it provides a peaceful yet new feeling. Being in this program I hope to create new long lasting relationships with those on the trip. In addition, I hope to build perspective on what it is like living in the US vs abroad and specifically what it is like going to school here. Something that I have noticed is the pace of life. Europeans seem like they are a lot less fast-paced and take more time to enjoy the moments they find themselves in. Looking back I would have tried to increase my French knowledge because it does make it harder to connect with those in the community but everyone has been super helpful. Not having a car has also been a completely new experience but I do enjoy taking the tram to school every day. I think it is a great way to start the day and is always a nice change of pace going to school with fellow students.
