My initial impressions of Strasbourg and the EM Strasbourg Business school were that both were quite a bit smaller than my home town of Dallas and Texas A&M University, and that both were very different from anything I had experienced before. This study abroad experience was my first time out of the country, and I was excited to see everything that was different about France and the other countries in Europe our trip took us.
One of the first things that I noticed was how quiet the town was. With the use of public transportation and less cars on the road, the streets and city itself is much quieter throughout the day and especially at night. The majority of people commute to school and work through the tram system, bicycles, and walking, which is significantly different from America. As Americans, we are used to talking loudly in public areas without even noticing it because of the loud surroundings and how loudly other people around us are talking. We noticed quickly that we stood out in crowds from how loudly we talked and the tone of our conversations.
Another thing that we noticed the first few days in Strasbourg was that food and necessities were much cheaper than in America. A meal at a restaurant does not have tax on top of the bill when the check eventually comes, and tipping is used only when the service is exceptionally good. Instead, tax is included in the price on the menu. In grocery stores, food and water are especially cheaper than in America by a few dollars. We were shocked at the amount of groceries that we could purchase for a much smaller price than any of us were expecting to see.
Finally, the last thing I noticed in my initial impressions of Strasbourg was how different the American and French university education systems are. When we arrived at the school for the first day, prospective students were conducting interviews and taking tests to determine whether or not they would be admitted into the university we were attending. Students were anxiously waiting to take tests specific to their major in order to be admitted into the school, and had multiple rounds of interviews to see if they were good candidates. While we take the SAT or ACT and have applications for our universities, we don’t conduct multiple rounds of interviews or take extensive tests for our specific majors to see if we would be admitted. Overall, I learned a lot of different cultures within just a few days of being in Strasbourg. I was excited to see the rest of the city and to get started with my classes at the business school.
