When I arrived on campus, I collected my room key and moved in with the help of my parents and brother. When the room is empty it’s actually quite bleak, but once everything is in there it’s really nice and works for me. I’m telling you this because other people have had a problem with the size of their room. It’s true that it’s small, but that’s not the end of the world. I met my roommate, Justin, on that same day and we get along well. We aren’t going to be best friends because we are very different, but living together is going great. Sometimes we have lunch or go to the gym together, which is nice. Since he makes music, I usually just go to the library to work in peace and let him do his thing. We quickly found the right balance: he’s a great roommate.
The day after moving in, I went to see my ‘advisor’ because I didn’t have access to my timetable which was supposed to be available on the website. I found out that I had already earned 38 credits due to converting credits from my first two years of business school, through SpanTran. This saves me a year. I was then able to add another subject (computer science), because my timetable wasn’t too full. At the time I didn’t understand that the courses chosen by the university weren’t necessarily suited to my own interests, but I quickly found this out the hard way.
On the first day of classes I had biology and lab classes. Needless to say, having not studied biology for three years and not being a fan of the subject at all, I panicked and wondered how I was going to cope. Similarly, on the next day, I had ‘supply chain’: the second shock! The subject is a mix of economics, human resources, logistics and ecology… again I panicked (although a little less this time), but I told myself that if I hung in there it would all be fine. In that same first week, I discovered the Drop/Add function on Menlo’s website. I therefore deleted ‘biology’ and ‘labs’ and replaced them with ‘food in history’ and ‘psychology’, two subjects that really interested me.
And as for ‘supply chain’, three weeks later, I still felt lost and unable to keep up because of the very technical vocabulary. I therefore went back to see my advisor to let her know that I was having trouble. Since I had enough classes already, she told me to just remove it from my timetable. I couldn’t believe it was that simple. I might take the class again when I’m a bit more confident with my English. As for the other lessons, English poses no problem.
So, for the next semester I’m going to try and choose my classes in advance. My advice for everyone going abroad with Go Campus is not to hesitate to switch classes if it doesn’t work for you or isn’t what you’re interested in. Everything can be changed here; it’s absolutely nothing like in France. You have just got to be reactive so that you don’t fall behind in your new subjects if you change classes, that’s all!
The great thing about the United States, when it comes to education, is the kindness of the professors and teaching staff. It’s so much better than I had hoped for and for the first time in my life I want to attend my classes, I get involved more than ever and participate to the best of my ability. I have integrated into campus life with no problems, the American students approach me, and I do the same. But in the evenings, I still just stick with the other French students.
On the weekends, we either stay on campus, go to the beach for a campfire or go to the gym (a lot of us are signed up to the same one). We’ve also rented a house together to get away for the weekend. I’ve also got to mention that on Fridays, no one has classes… This university adventure has lived up to all my expectations: I am so happy that I changed the direction of my studies and came here. I feel like I’ve found where I’m meant to be.
Luca’s short review:
Did Go Campus’ pre-departure support help you integrate (application, explanations etc)?
It turns out that I had a friend who had also signed up to the programme and I met up with him on campus once we both got to California. So that helped me a lot. Besides that, Go Campus has been really efficient. Everything was clear and simple in the process leading up to my trip (explanations, expectations etc.)
What about the welcome on campus?
– As soon as we got there, we were immediately supported. We didn’t really have to look for help… the help actually found us! The students ask if they can give you any information, assist you, and give you directions (both to show you the campus and help you with the paperwork). It’s amazing. Our orientation weekend was filled with games, activities, talks etc.; we had a blast.
For getting started with your timetable?
My situation is a bit different since I was settling into the American campus two years after leaving high school in France, so that complicated things in terms of getting my credits approved. That left a bit of uncertainty. Even now I have a few problems with it. You have just got to be patient. But for those who are coming straight away, it seems like it’s much simpler. In terms of the timetable, it’s also well organised. It takes a little bit of time to understand the system and the idea of pre-requisites, which last for about a semester. Everything happens relatively easily.
What about help with the admin?
That is to a high standard. Every time I went to the admin team about a problem, I would leave with a solution. Outside of the office, there is a sign “coaching student’s success”. That says everything you need to know! And it’s true they do everything to help. And moreover, they are cheerful. We don’t see that in any schools in France.
What about accommodation?
I am in the new building. The best one, apparently. I have no complaints. It’s practical, easy, and quite spacious. The environment is quite homely, and I quickly felt settled. But I know some people who feel a lot less comfortable.
What is there for social integration?
I made the mistake at the beginning of just sticking with French people, telling myself “We’ll start like this and then I’ll go outside of my circle”. In reality, it’s a bad move. We tend to stay within our own group which closes doors for us. So, it doesn’t help anything! The best thing to do is to socialise straight away with the American students and do everything to understand their ways. You need to get out of your comfort zone as soon as possible. The university proposes a tonne of things and activities, it makes it so easy. I am going to try and find a job soon, so that will help me meet new people.
What about academic integration (lessons, classes)?
It feels like in the USA that teachers are not forced to do their job, they really are there to help you move forward and that your success as a student is their priority and number one objective.
To finish; after 6 months there, what overall score would you give your own integration into campus life?
I would say that all in all, it’s been relatively easy, and I haven’t had to put in too much effort. I have been surrounded by kindness from all levels that have massively helped me to integrate. Now integrating, adapting to a new place is still a challenge, a change. You have to make a bit of an effort. The beginning is never easy. Especially since when you go abroad to study, there’s the issue of distance and mastering the language which complicate things. That’s the reason why I won’t give it 5 stars. I think I’m still in the process of integrating. So, it will come with time.
