As I prepare to leave Strasbourg, I have been reflecting on my initial impressions when I first arrived. I was so intimidated and excited to be in this new place. While the process of obtaining the visa, accommodation, and classes was challenging and anxiety-inducing, I would do it again a hundred times to have a semester as great as the one I just had. It was a semester filled with new friends, learning, and traveling.
It’s funny to look back at my initial impressions of Strasbourg and the differences I noted between French and American culture, some of which were trivial. I remember being shocked that most restaurants charge for water, which is not routine in the US. I learned after a couple of weeks however that you can order “une carafe d’eau,” a pitcher of tap water, for free. Another trivial difference was that everything seemed to be closed on Sundays. I quickly learned that there are restaurants open on Sundays; you just have to look around a bit more. I also found several grocery and convenience stores open on Sunday mornings.
Another initial impression I had was that everyone spoke to me in French, and I could have benefitted from reviewing more. By the end of the semester, I found myself wishing more people would speak to me in French. There are exceptions, but most people I encountered throughout Strasbourg in restaurants, shops, and train stations, speak several languages, including English. Many times, I would attempt to speak first in French and be responded to in English (I tried not to take offense). This made it easy to get by speaking limited French. Additionally, EM Strasbourg offered FLE classes for all levels, which are French language classes. I enrolled in the A2 class, and it quickly became my favorite class. I learned so much as it was a great review of basic French and a safe space to ask questions. Also, I enrolled in a buddy system, where I was paired with a French student at the University of Strasbourg. I met with my buddy a few times throughout the semester, and she was a great resource for asking questions about the language and life in Strasbourg as well.
I was initially intimidated by the varying weekly class schedules. This was quite an adjustment from Texas A&M schedules. It really forced me to be responsible in studying for a class even when I wouldn’t meet for the class for a week. My time management improved, and I learned to balance school life with traveling and making friends in my new city. The schedule and Strasbourg’s central location allowed me the opportunity to travel on several weekends. I did a couple of weekend trips to Germany, Switzerland, and even to the Netherlands.
While I didn’t mention it in my initial impressions blog, I was very scared that I wouldn’t make friends here in Strasbourg. I tried my best to go to every event at the beginning of the semester and joined the Erasmus Student Network in the hopes of connecting with other international students. I was quickly relieved when I realized how international EM Strasbourg is and how eager everyone is to make friends. As a small school, I came to know many of the students in all my classes and would run into people on the trams and in the city. I think my biggest accomplishment from this semester was being vulnerable in meeting new people and putting myself out there until I found a group that I really clicked with. This semester abroad was the ultimate networking experience. And it’s hard because I ended up becoming close with some of my favorite people in the last month, which made the goodbyes harder.
Overall, my initial impressions were accurate, and I learned solutions to the challenges/problems I faced in the first couple of weeks. This is exactly why I think this whole semester was a learning experience. Of course, I was taking new classes and learning new technical business knowledge. But on top of that, I was learning how to be pretty much fully independent in a new country. I had to learn to ask questions: to the administration at the school, to other students, to strangers to figure out solutions to any obstacles I faced. It pushed me out of my comfort zone for sure, but I learned the value of simply asking when I didn’t know what to do.
As a final note to those considering Strasbourg, I cannot recommend it enough, especially in the fall semester. You get to see incredible French-German architecture. You’re in a fairly central location in Europe. You get to experience summer, fall, and winter. And my favorite part, you get to experience the magic of the Strasbourg Christmas markets.
