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France: Student Comments
“I loved so much about my year in France that I can't do it justice in a few sentences. I grew so much more than I had foreseen. The new friends really make the year special. I met Antoine in the school computer lab. He was sitting next to me typing a paper in English and I offered to correct it for him. Soon he 'adopted' me and helped me immensely throughout my year. I know that we'll always remain friends.” —Caroline Anderson, UC Berkeley “One of the things that the French school systems were big on, I found, was the interviewing and talking to French people. In Bordeaux, people can be very clique-y in general, but at the same time, because there is such a large university presence, lots of French people invite students into their homes. I'm not naturally prone to approaching random people, but some of the projects I was assigned required me to go to book-readings and talk to authors. I also had to go to bakeries and talk with patissiers. It was really nerve-racking because I was stepping outside of my comfort zone, but in retrospect the experiences were the most rewarding and memorable. With renewed confidence back in the U.S. I've been open to going to book-readings, free concert events, and I am more aware of the American and Californian culture.” —Elizabeth Anderson, UC Los Angeles “I had a fabulous time abroad. I would recommend it to anyone. I learned so much about the world, about myself, about other people, I think it was absolutely invaluable for me and I'm sure that it will be helpful for practical reasons, grad school, career, etc. It was definitely invaluable for my knowledge of French. There is no way that you can compare living in France for four months with going to French class for an hour! My EAP experience was definitely positive, one of the most memorable parts of college.” —EAP Student “Living abroad is like a rite of passage. You arrive feeling small and misunderstood. Over the following months you'll get lost, but you'll find your way back. You'll lose something, but you'll learn to live without it. You'll conquer Paris or Rome, or Berlin's public transportation system, and feel like you've conquered the world. You'll cry some, but you'll laugh more. You'll fall in love-with a city, a building, or painting. You'll live simply, but more luxuriously than you ever have. And when you leave you'll make the hardest journey since you first walked down the runway to the plane. But you no longer feel small or misunderstood becuase you've grown too much to be small and you've learned too much to be misunderstood. That's my EAP rite of passage experience in a nutshell.” —Lucy August-Perna, UC Santa Barbara “Snowboarding in the Alps feels like it was all a dream now, but that's probably the coolest thing I got to do in my year at Grenoble, France.” —Olivia Baker, UC Santa Barbara “One of my personal reasons for studying abroad was linked with Baudelaire's poetry. I wanted to be able to read it without relying on a dictionary. In translation, something is always lost, particularly with Baudelaire's poetry. I always felt unfulfilled. Immersed in the French culture, not only did I learn the language, but also an entirely different way of thinking. Language forms thought, guides it, expands it, even inhibits it. I was unsure if I would really be able to pass through the door, the one that separates dealing with a foreign language in translation and understanding it without the need to translate it in your head. I succeeded. And the reward is a whole new world of thought-very satisfying and utterly fascinating. The structure of the courses there is organized in such a way that I ended up reading a lot of important philosophers and writers and critics and poets, and I read them in depth. It was studying philosophy that had the most impact on me. We are a sum of our environment and we grow up holding many opinions and beliefs, the sources of which we cannot pinpoint. It was studying philosophy that revealed why it is I think what I think. I was forced to confront issues and ideas to which I had never been exposed, which prompted me to reevaluate all of my beliefs, shattering some and strengthening others.” —Shiera Bendov, UC Irvine “Because of my EAP experience I shifted from studying the sciences to linguistics. I found that language study provided the perfect milieu in which to blend my interests in math (patterns equal language structure), music (imitation of sounds, intonation), and a need to interact with people. Thanks EAP! You changed my life.” —Christina Clabby, UC San Diego “Preface: www.tylercushing.com-'nuff said. During my time spent at AUP (American University of Paris) I was part of the student government (Visiting Student Rep), I recorded open mikes and put them online, I created photo slideshows each week, I put together short films during my stay, and will compile a DVD with everything on it. I have stayed in contact with students from AUP and plan on integrating their words, photos, art, and video in future collaborative projects with UCSC students. EAP is there to help students to meet people from around the world, stay in contact with them, and to learn to be creative with each other. Studying and working on papers can be done any time, but being abroad without 'real' worries can only happen once, maybe twice in your life.” —Tyler Cushing, UC Santa Cruz “Don't fool yourself. It's not a small world after all. The world is huge with so much out there to try and experience.” —Mario Dia, UC Irvine “During my year of study in Bordeaux, France, I was able to master French. That year launched me on my international career. I have now lived 12 years in Paris and in Francophone Africa (Zaire and Morocco), managing international economic development projects. All of this is thanks to my junior year abroad and EAP.” —Richard Dreiman, UC Berkeley “EAP has obviously had a lasting impact on my career, as I now work as a study abroad advisor! In between graduating from UCSD and starting graduate school, I spent an additional year in France on a Fulbright, and I know that EAP left me far more prepared to be an independent scholar in France than many of my peers who had studied abroad on other programs. When I look back on my time as an undergraduate, I realize that the most significant experiences, the fondest memories, and the most lasting friendships are in large part a result of EAP.” —Anne Haberkern, UC San Diego “Studying in France gave me a great variety of classes and opportunities I wouldn't have had at home, and I still stayed on track with my computer science major. I had so many unique experiences in France and didn't have to sacrifice anything academically … I didn't even have to give up surfing on the weekends!” —Ross Hale, UC Santa Barbara “Going to France on EAP was one of the best experiences of my life. At first I was afraid that it would interrupt my computer science degree and I would fall behind. Now I realize that not only did I have an incredible time abroad, I have a leg up on the competition because I can speak French. All in all, studying abroad with the EAP was the best thing I could have done for my career and for myself.” —Ross Hale, UC Santa Barbara “EAP was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. No matter how many times I travel abroad, nothing can duplicate the college abroad experience. I recently visited my daughter on an EAP program and reconfirmed my convictions that the undergraduate EAP experience is unique, perfectly timed to correspond with maximum intellectual growth and exposure of life, outlook, and goals.” —Elaine Horwitz Bachrach, UC Berkeley “I wouldn't say my EAP experience in Lyon, France, has helped my job search in the States nor influenced my long-term career goals. But it was an important force in helping me decide to join the Peace Corps. Confronting the unknown of life in an African village was a lot less scary after having successfully completed a year abroad in Lyon. I've been serving as a volunteer in two Francophonic countries (Comoros and Guinea) and I give my EAP experience almost full credit for the fact that communicating in French has not been an obstacle for me here. My French proficiency has allowed me to devote more energy to my work and learning the local language. Peace Corps has been the most influential experience of my life to date, and I credit my EAP experience for helping me to succeed with my work here.” —Teri Hudson, UC Berkeley “Carpe diem or carpe noctem! Either way seize the opportunity! When I first heard about EAP, it sounded too good to be true, especially for students like me, who are getting themselves through college. But it truly is a chance of a lifetime! Money should never be an obstacle for exploring the world; that's what EAP is all about! France is the best place to be for anyone who wants to find out what Europe is really like. With a convenient central location and classes to please the pickiest of majors, I would do it all over again!” —Anastasia Ioda, UC Los Angeles “The most memorable experience of my year abroad was working at the 1998 World Cup in Bordeaux. My assignment was to function as a liaison between an American television network representative and the French staff, which oversaw the venue. Thanks to this rare opportunity to work with English and French, I gained not only confidence in my language skills, but in myself as well.” —Molly La Barge, UC Davis “I lived with a host family and there is no shortage of stories when it comes to them. One distinct memory is from the first day I arrived at their home. I met the lady of the house, she gave me my key and showed me to my room. I started unpacking and put all my electronics on a power outlet strip, turned it on, and blew out the fuses. This was just how I managed to break the ice with my family-I hope you find one just as well. The most important thing to remember is to keep your sense of humor alive; things that may test your patience are most likely the cultural differences.” —Eric McDaniel, UC Riverside “There are tons of benefits I've gained from my experience in France, but I think primarily I've gained a lot of independence and, well, obviously language skills. I had always thought I was pretty independent, but upon coming to France I realized how dependent I was! I really wanted to come home for the first four months or so, basically because I was having a hard time adjusting socially. I didn't have much in common with the other EAP students, and I didn't feel very comfortable trying to make French friends because it was so hard to talk to them. But I did end up meeting people and making friends-at first mainly English and then finally some French. I'm actually kind of glad I didn't get along very well with the other EAP students because it forced me to speak more French. I've also traveled by myself all over Europe, which I never would have had the courage to do before, and I love it! It's really helped me get to know myself better. I'm also really glad that I've been exposed to a different culture and gotten to know people from all over Europe. It's really made me realize how important it is to speak other languages. ” —Holly Nakashima, UC Berkeley “One of the most memorable experiences of Paris was Nuit-Blanc (find out if you don't know what it is). That night, my friend and I didn't know the way, so I relunctantly asked a French woman for directions. It turned out we both wanted to go to the same place. During our walk, somehow (by miracle) I managed to strike a conversation with her in French. Sure, there are some confusions, gesturing, and body language, but we managed to communicate. That night, I was amazed that I could carry a conversation with a French person. Most importantly, I was appreciative and amazed of Paris' beauty and culture. We ended up at a small cathedral. They were showing a brief movie about blind and deaf children playing a symphony. I didn't like the music very much, but I thought it was beautiful and touching. The thought of having one of the most prominent cities in the world taking a night off, displaying its arts scene, and acknowledging the works of all its citizens (young and old, disabled and non-disabled) was moving and unforgettable. I will always take that with me. In some ways, EAP has taught me to listen, to talk, to understand others, to be appreciative of individual differences, and to be non-prejudiced. I came back from Paris wanting to read a book-for pleasure.” —Vincent Nguyen, UC Irvine “The EAP experience is more than I can put into words. I traveled to many places as a member of sports teams when I was younger, but nothing has compared to this! I would recommend EAP to anyone who has a passport! It is probably one of the only activities I always bring up in any conversation and job interview.” —Andrea Pintar, UC Santa Barbara “Having done EAP in Bordeaux in 1989-90 prepared me for the opportunity and challenge of my life-recently moving to Paris to manage a sales force in Europe for Netscape Communications. I also found a French wife while there! EAP was a hallmark decision in my life.” —Christopher Sahara, UC San Diego “I just finished reading Alice Kaplan's French Lessons and it pretty accurately explains my experience in France too: the need to learn a foreign language. It can be as vital as other needs! I would also add that such an experience helps you to reflect not only on who you are but where you come from-on your "American-ness."” —Virginia Shivers, UC Berkeley “I think the benefits of EAP were more indirect to subtle than most recognize. It changes how you think both structurally (by learning a new language) and geopolitically (by seeing your country and yourself how others see you). On a personal note, I developed lifelong friendships and an understanding and appreciation of Bordeaux wines that I treasure to this day. Great program-what else can I say?!” —Marc Siegel, UC Los Angeles “While studying at the Parisian Center for Critical Studies and the Sorbonne, I had the opportunity to discover a new culture, a new system of education, and a new perspective on our ever-changing world. The result was life-changing. But more importantly, I'll never forget the people. The French (as well as the Europeans) reached out to us students and made the world a little smaller and our hearts a little bigger. We have so much to learn from other people and the best way to do it is with a suitcase in hand and an open mind.” —Mary Stiefvater, UC Los Angeles “There are hundreds of scooters that fly about on the streets of Paris. As soon as I found out that my host mother's son drove one I was determined to ride on it before my time abroad was over. Sure enough, about three weeks before I was to return to the States, I went out with my host brother one night and had a blast sitting on the back of this little Parisian moped, holding tight as we whizzed in and out of cars and the nightlife on our way to a popular nightclub in Paris. I felt very Parisian and can say that was definitely the highlight of my stay.” —Kathleen Tarr, UC Santa Cruz “I became interested in African history, politics, and economics while on EAP in France-which is now the focus of my work. I speak, read, and write French on a daily basis as all of the development projects for which I have responsibility are in French West Africa. The skill I developed in 1985-86 on EAP, I'm still using decades later.” —Tamara Underwood, UC Berkeley “Ever since I was 10 years old and I started studying French, I've wanted to study abroad in France. This year in Bordeaux, then, symbolizes the realization of a hope I've dreamed about for nearly ten years. I came to France to discover another culture, another system, another language-and what I've seen and experienced here has surpassed all of my expectations. Living in a foreign country has taught me, more than ever, to embrace difference and change, and it has also reminded me of the universality of the human experience that exceeds cultural and geographical boundaries. I think the UCEAP program is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity-wonderfully run and staffed by excellent individuals-and I am thrilled and honored to be here to celebrate its 40th anniversary. This has been an experience like no other, and I'll cherish it always. ” —Nicole Webb, UC Berkeley “I went to Paris in the fall of 2004. The best part of EAP was just living in the city and taking in the sights, the normal day-to-day life as a student. I learned so much about how-even miles away from home-I was still so "close" to home in L.A. The best part is realizing that no matter how far you are from home, home is always where you always end up traveling to.” —Jeane Wong, UC Los Angeles “I use my French speaking skills in two ways: Personally, it enables me to communicate with my French AFS family; secondly, our business is international and I have used my skills on a business level in France and Quebec. I have even communicated with Spanish-speaking customers in French!” —Cordeli Zetterberg, UC Santa Cruz
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