Well I’ve been back in the US for about 3 weeks, and school is quickly approaching. It kind of feels surreal that I was even abroad this summer. In a lot of ways it feels I never left, but then I’ll look at pictures from France, and all of the stuff I experienced starts to sink in. It was a great experience, and I would recommend this program to any aerospace student who wants to study abroad. In many ways, I think the program made me grow up just a little bit more. You definitely have to assume a lot of responsibility for yourself as well as be very cognoscente about every decision you make from what you wear to where you go.
For those of you thinking about studying abroad either on this program or different one, I’d suggest you start planning early with an advisor from the IPE office and your academic advisor. You don’t need to have weekly meetings with them, but keep them posted on what you’re looking to do. They can do what they are getting paid to do and advise you on what can make study abroad successful while you’re abroad and when you come back to U of M. I’d also start researching the country you are going to. Halfway through this program I found a Wiki site on French dinning customs and foods, and this would have been a lot more helpful had I read through that before going over there. Learning the language is not always a requirement of a study abroad program, however you’re only going to be spending a maximum of 6 hours a day in class. The rest of the time, there’s no guarantee you’ll find someone who speaks English. I suggest you know some greetings, numbers, foods, and how to ask questions before going abroad. If you start planning early enough, you can learn a word or two a day and it will greatly help ensure you have a great experience abroad.
Overall, I really had a blast! I met some amazing kids from U of M and other colleges around the country. We all had a great time as we were all trying to help each other out with whatever situation we were in. Our program leaders were very approachable and usually added to our laughter as we would discuss cultural differences. So if you’re interested in studying abroad, feel free to stop by the IPE office or leave me a comment on this blog.
Also, thanks again for reading my blog. It’s been great to share my experiences, and it’s given me a lasting memento of my study abroad journey. I hope you’ve enjoyed it and have learned more about the GEA Aerospace Study Abroad Program.
Best Regards and Au Revoir,
Gary
