Howdy!!
My name is Sophie Blaskovich! I’m currently in the BEM reciprocal exchange program at EM Strasbourg Business School, in Strasbourg, France. I’ve been living in France for nearly a month now, and it has been nothing less than an adventure!! I was very apprehensive before departing the United States. Not necessarily because of the culture change, but because of how long I would be away for. My program duration is two semesters, meaning I would be away for basically an entire year. Luckily, my friend from A&M was doing the exchange along with me, but I still felt as though I was completely starting over with my relationships. However, it amazes me how quickly my mindset has changed. Strasbourg already feels like home.
Upon arriving, I was amazed at the beauty of this city!! Everything here is so picturesque, the buildings with their beautiful colors, the river, the bridges, and all the gorgeous churches! I chose to live in an apartment right by the business school. There were housing options through my school, but I chose to use a website called Appartager.com to find my apartment. Personally, I love my place. I live with my friend Ashley, as well as two other random roommates. One of them is from Germany while the other is from Ireland!! We have our own rooms, a shared bathroom, a full kitchen, and an outside patio!! However, if you’re looking for a cheaper option, I know there are some good options for the school housing. Also, there’s an Ikea in town, so don’t worry if you can’t squeeze everything into your suitcase!!
As soon as the orientation week started, Ashley and I were able to meet tons of people! In fact, we met most of our close friends, on the first day of orientation. But my favorite part about orientation was simply being surrounded by students from all over the world. Everyone comes from different cultures and backgrounds, so it?s been so enjoyable interacting with them and discovering what we have in common as well as the differences between us! The common language among the international students is English, but still try and work on your French! It will help you out around town a bunch. The international organization at EM makes it very easy for you to meet people. They always host events; you just need to join the Facebook group to find out about them.
My classes haven?t started yet, but from what I can tell, the school system here is very different to A&M. Overall, the lifestyle in France is a lot more laid back, so the university just seems less structured and organized than what we’re used to. Class schedules can change weekly. My classes typically meet once a week for three hours each, but the time and room the class is held in varies. The exams are rarely multiple-choice, rather they are written argument exams. Everything is graded on a 0-20 scale. Receiving a 10 is passing, but a 14 is apparently an excellent job. The international office explained this by saying ?No argument is perfect. We value good arguments but acknowledge that there?s always room for improvement.? Therefore, receiving an 18-20 is practically unheard of.
Now, most importantly, I thought I?d share some information on traveling!! Since arriving I?ve already been able to visit Lyon, France; Heidelberg, Germany; Basel, Switzerland; and Prague, Czechoslovakia! I?ve found that the easiest/cheapest way to get around is using Flixbus. But also check Omio to compare bus, train, and flight prices. There are endless travel opportunities here, take advantage of them!! But don?t forget to discover your own city. Strasbourg is a large city and can be confusing to navigate at first, but it holds countless treasures. There are boulangeries and caf?s at every corner! I recommend getting a bus/tram pass, but walking is still very popular.
I?ve only been in Strasbourg a month, but I?ve already seen so much change in myself. This experience has been rewarding, pushing me out of my comfort zone, and allowing me to discover new levels of independence. It is key to make friends on your time abroad to prevent you from feeling lonely. The best advice I can give you, is to say yes! Go out with people, take trips, form relationships! Remember everyone is in your same situation.
Thank you for reading my blog and sharing in this experience with me! If you?re going abroad, I hope I was able to help you out some! I?m greatly looking forward to the rest of my time here!! Feel free to contact me if you ever have any questions about Strasbourg!
Bonne journ?e,
Sophie Blaskovich
sophiablaskovich@tamu.edu