Three years after his year spent at a high school in Georgia, Octave decided to go back to the US to study, with the help of Go Campus. He now lives in the Midwest near St. Louis, Missouri. His university and new life are giving him plenty of opportunities, and he’s been trying to make the most of them: the wide variety of courses, majors and minors, clubs and making friends.
In 2023, I decided to go to the US to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in business administration at Webster University in Missouri. I feel like this midwestern state really embodies the stereotypical ‘country’ culture in the states: a welcoming community, hearty and delicious food and a strong passion for sports.
My university is in Saint-Louis, Missouri – the very eastern part of the “show me state”. Life at Webster is good, and I quickly discovered everything that the university has to offer. Firstly, the university is the hub of community life: we sleep, eat and study there. It’s your house, your home. It’s also like a playground where you can meet up with your friends, play sports or make the most of all the on site facilities to help you relax: Games room, swimming pool, sauna…
Webster boasts an incredible amount of diversity. The university welcomes loads of international students. I have met Japanese, Chinese, Indian, Nepalese, Spanish, German, Brazilian, Ghanian, some French and of course American students (after all, we are in their country). I have met so many amazing people just in my first year. Since the start of orientation week, I have been in a great friendship group with a German student and two Americans.
The wide variety of courses that they offer is amazing. You can study business, but also literature, sciences, communication, graphics, theatre etc. The American system works like this: You pick a major (for example, I chose business administration), then you pick and complete courses that are related to that major. To graduate, you need to also complete a “skills” module (kind of like our core curriculum). Of course, your Major is a lot more time consuming than the “skills” module. Finally, you can also (although it’s not mandatory) choose a “minor”, either in a field related to your major in the hopes of complementing your studies, or in a completely different field to help diversify your knowledge. I decided to choose 2 minors: one in marketing and one in entrepreneurship. The options are endless, but counselors are there to help.
The biggest strength of American universities is the opportunities that they offer. Since coming to Webster, I have started a cooking club that receives $1000 in funding every semester. There are around 30 clubs at Webster, and each one has to have a “constitution” (some sort of regulation) which respects the university’s rules, a president and treasurer. Every month, we have to report back to the “Student Organisation” about our club spending.
I also helped a professor with his lesson planning and joined an honors class run by the university which means that I get a certain budget to aid my research in any field I choose. I also have a job lined up for next year as an RA (Resident Assistant). As students, we often get sent emails about job vacancies on campus. So, it’s relatively easy to get a job, which is super beneficial since on the one hand you can earn money and lessen the cost of studying there, and on the other it gives you an experience which is invaluable on your CV. You need to have specific qualifications for some jobs, for instance a lifeguard certification is a necessity if you work at the pool. However, this training is entirely covered by the university.
I want to stress that American Universities really go all out with support and offer tons of opportunities to their students.
Nevertheless, I think it’s also important to mention the difficulties I’ve faced this year. Living with other students on campus, while rewarding and full of new experiences, doesn’t always leave much room for privacy. Sharing a bedroom can be tough sometimes. Sharing a bathroom (in this instance with 3 guys!) can be equally as tricky – especially when it comes to cleanliness…I also really miss French food…A lot of people worry about gaining weight, but I actually ended up losing some…Same situation, but different results!
You’ve got to really make the most of your stay in the states and travel around. During the holidays, I went to Boston, and I loved the city. I also got the chance to travel to Chicago, Nashville, Atlanta, Springfield and Columbia. I went to an American football game at the University of Mizzou (a big university in Columbia, Missouri). I urge everyone to broaden their view of America and the world by taking up this once in a lifetime opportunity to study in the United States.
Change takes time to adjust to, and some self-reflection, but in the end, you get to really reap the rewards of learning, perseverance, discovery and knowledge.
