Life Update and Study Abroad Musings
Welp, it's been months since I last posted. Oh well. So I have now changed my major to History (with minors in French and International Studies) and I've been enjoying all my classes this semester, they're generally interesting. I have some minor complaints (my Mexican History class has way too much group work, my Honors class is kind of a joke, my Native American History professor is sort of meh but it's fine since we mostly watch documentaries anyway) but overall it's been pretty good, if a busier semester than I expected. I had either an essay or a midterm every week in February and I think I have some manner of important assignment due every week until the end of the semester, at which point I'll have finals (mostly final essays I think), but this is a three day weekend so I get some break. And then all sorts of club stuff going on. Not as much UCC stuff as last semester since there are fewer events in the Spring, but our Gender Umbrella Club treasurer has pretty much stopped showing up to meetings and been generally unreliable so that's a bit frustrating.
Social-wise it's been pretty good also. I definitely had a better Valentine's Day this year and I think I'm slowly getting the hang of this relationship thing (it's been almost five or six months, depending on how you count- dear lord). I got all caught up with Once Upon a Time and so I've been able to join my friends' weekly Once Upon a Time nights. Also I've expanded my social circle a bit as I've become more involved with Pacific Feminists so that's nice (even if several of my friends are graduating). I had to go home for various reasons like five weeks in a row (seeing my sister's concert, going to my cousin's baby shower, Spring Break, the weekend I was planning to get a haircut but then I locked my computer cord in the Multicultural Center and all my friends were gone so I just went home anyway, getting a haircut), so that put a bit of a damper on my weekend plans, but I think I'll be on-campus the rest of the semester hopefully (not that there's that much left) so that'll be a nice break.
At this point it's mostly planning for next semester, since finals start April 26. So we're starting the election process for new officers in UCC and probably soon in PRIDE, planning next year's events in Gender Umbrella. I signed up for classes yesterday. Next semester I'm taking 16 units and 6 classes- La Francophonie, History of Alcohol and Intoxicants, Creative Writing, the honors seminar, Senior Project Proposal (which I'm doing before study abroad so I can maybe do research while abroad), and Cross-Cultural Training I. Also I've been figuring out housing, which was less complicated than expected. I'm staying in the same place next semester (same room even) with my current roommate and two of my other friends. It'll be interesting to see how things go with the two new roommates, and how they handle Mitchie's mess. And then after that semester I'll be studying abroad which brings me to the original reason I made this post.
I thought I had it figured out that I was going to Ireland. But then I started reconsidering the language aspect, and how relatively isolated Ireland was compared to the rest of Europe, and so at this point I have it narrowed down to two programs- one in Perugia, Italy and one in Paris, France. At first I was having a lot of trouble finding any French programs I liked, but I talked with my French teacher and she gave me a great comparison of the different programs in France, which narrowed it down to two for me, and then looking at the courses offered narrowed it down to Paris. In the past I've been a bit wary of Paris because it's more touristy and I felt like a smaller city would give me a more authentic experience. But 1) I'm not really interested in the programs my school offers in smaller cities and 2) Paris has a ton of great cultural opportunities and museums and things right there. Also the Metro. I really like underground public transport.
I thought I was almost settled on Italy but now all the authority figures I talk to have been encouraging me to go to France. I'm interested in France for the language aspect because I'd love to improve my skill level. I've also wanted to learn Italian for literally years but haven't been anywhere that offered classes. But then I'm sort of worried I'd have trouble getting as much of a cultural experience if there was more of a language barrier. I should also keep in mind that my school does offer a summer Italian immersion program. I'm trying not to let myself be biased in favor of Italy just because Macey is going there but that's really difficult.
So it's like- do I want to improve a language I already know or learn a new one? I'd be fine with either. Do I want to live in a big city with lots of opportunities or in a smaller university town that's less touristy and more intimate? Both programs have interesting classes with cool field trips and interesting program excursions. Both include housing options other than homestays (which is useful because homestays kind of scare me even though everyone says they're the best way to go) and have neat opportunities in the city. Both places have excellent food and are fairly centrally-located for travel to other parts of Europe. I'm also mildly worried with both that I would be too surrounded by Americans all the time (less so with Paris though because there are French people and people of other nationalities literally everywhere and also I wouldn't be as restricted by a language barrier). Earlier today even I was leaning more toward Italy, until I looked more closely at that particular Paris program. I was thinking that Italy was my gut choice and France was the more logical choice but now I don't know anymore. Perugia has a Roman Civilization class that goes on a field trip to Pompeii but Paris has an art history class that is literally all about pieces of art in different museums, with class being held in the museums. Perugia has classes about archaeology and Italian food but Paris has classes about gender studies and one where the point of the class is that you're in a play.
Ugh I hate making decisions. Maybe when I get a chance to talk to one of the higher-up-than-peer-advisors (and hopefully more helpful) people in the study abroad office she'll give me a more unbiased opinion than the two people I've talked to recently who both had reasons to be biased in favor of France. At least I have the summer to decide (also to hopefully get a job and/or volunteer somewhere, but that's a whole other issue).
Social-wise it's been pretty good also. I definitely had a better Valentine's Day this year and I think I'm slowly getting the hang of this relationship thing (it's been almost five or six months, depending on how you count- dear lord). I got all caught up with Once Upon a Time and so I've been able to join my friends' weekly Once Upon a Time nights. Also I've expanded my social circle a bit as I've become more involved with Pacific Feminists so that's nice (even if several of my friends are graduating). I had to go home for various reasons like five weeks in a row (seeing my sister's concert, going to my cousin's baby shower, Spring Break, the weekend I was planning to get a haircut but then I locked my computer cord in the Multicultural Center and all my friends were gone so I just went home anyway, getting a haircut), so that put a bit of a damper on my weekend plans, but I think I'll be on-campus the rest of the semester hopefully (not that there's that much left) so that'll be a nice break.
At this point it's mostly planning for next semester, since finals start April 26. So we're starting the election process for new officers in UCC and probably soon in PRIDE, planning next year's events in Gender Umbrella. I signed up for classes yesterday. Next semester I'm taking 16 units and 6 classes- La Francophonie, History of Alcohol and Intoxicants, Creative Writing, the honors seminar, Senior Project Proposal (which I'm doing before study abroad so I can maybe do research while abroad), and Cross-Cultural Training I. Also I've been figuring out housing, which was less complicated than expected. I'm staying in the same place next semester (same room even) with my current roommate and two of my other friends. It'll be interesting to see how things go with the two new roommates, and how they handle Mitchie's mess. And then after that semester I'll be studying abroad which brings me to the original reason I made this post.
I thought I had it figured out that I was going to Ireland. But then I started reconsidering the language aspect, and how relatively isolated Ireland was compared to the rest of Europe, and so at this point I have it narrowed down to two programs- one in Perugia, Italy and one in Paris, France. At first I was having a lot of trouble finding any French programs I liked, but I talked with my French teacher and she gave me a great comparison of the different programs in France, which narrowed it down to two for me, and then looking at the courses offered narrowed it down to Paris. In the past I've been a bit wary of Paris because it's more touristy and I felt like a smaller city would give me a more authentic experience. But 1) I'm not really interested in the programs my school offers in smaller cities and 2) Paris has a ton of great cultural opportunities and museums and things right there. Also the Metro. I really like underground public transport.
I thought I was almost settled on Italy but now all the authority figures I talk to have been encouraging me to go to France. I'm interested in France for the language aspect because I'd love to improve my skill level. I've also wanted to learn Italian for literally years but haven't been anywhere that offered classes. But then I'm sort of worried I'd have trouble getting as much of a cultural experience if there was more of a language barrier. I should also keep in mind that my school does offer a summer Italian immersion program. I'm trying not to let myself be biased in favor of Italy just because Macey is going there but that's really difficult.
So it's like- do I want to improve a language I already know or learn a new one? I'd be fine with either. Do I want to live in a big city with lots of opportunities or in a smaller university town that's less touristy and more intimate? Both programs have interesting classes with cool field trips and interesting program excursions. Both include housing options other than homestays (which is useful because homestays kind of scare me even though everyone says they're the best way to go) and have neat opportunities in the city. Both places have excellent food and are fairly centrally-located for travel to other parts of Europe. I'm also mildly worried with both that I would be too surrounded by Americans all the time (less so with Paris though because there are French people and people of other nationalities literally everywhere and also I wouldn't be as restricted by a language barrier). Earlier today even I was leaning more toward Italy, until I looked more closely at that particular Paris program. I was thinking that Italy was my gut choice and France was the more logical choice but now I don't know anymore. Perugia has a Roman Civilization class that goes on a field trip to Pompeii but Paris has an art history class that is literally all about pieces of art in different museums, with class being held in the museums. Perugia has classes about archaeology and Italian food but Paris has classes about gender studies and one where the point of the class is that you're in a play.
Ugh I hate making decisions. Maybe when I get a chance to talk to one of the higher-up-than-peer-advisors (and hopefully more helpful) people in the study abroad office she'll give me a more unbiased opinion than the two people I've talked to recently who both had reasons to be biased in favor of France. At least I have the summer to decide (also to hopefully get a job and/or volunteer somewhere, but that's a whole other issue).