Exchange: pros & cons?
Apr 27th, 2017, 10:57 AM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Exchange: pros & cons?
Hey! I am going to an exchange in a couple of months (to parma, strasbourg or frankfurt...can't decide, help!) and i'm just wondering is there anything important things i should know about exhange? I'm going there for five weeks, and i just want to ask the people who have experienced an exchange or just people who know lots of interesting stuff about exchange is there any stuff i should maybe know about. I really appreciate it if you can help me! And by the way, if you would be me (in an english school, LOVES food culture and enjoys being on a big city with lots of other international students) which country would you choose to go?
Apr 27th, 2017, 11:15 AM
#2
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 2,302
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You don't like your other thread ?
I did a one-year exchange at university.
What advice ? Immerse a maximum with the local students and avoid like the pest any group of your compatriots.
one-two firnds from your country is great, sticking around with large groups of your mates acts like a repellent : any local will leave you with your group.
Second advice ? Don't be overbothered with your classez. You can do that back home.
I did a one-year exchange at university.
What advice ? Immerse a maximum with the local students and avoid like the pest any group of your compatriots.
one-two firnds from your country is great, sticking around with large groups of your mates acts like a repellent : any local will leave you with your group.
Second advice ? Don't be overbothered with your classez. You can do that back home.
Apr 27th, 2017, 11:19 AM
#3
So folks don't re-invent the wheel http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-frankfurt.cfm
Apr 27th, 2017, 11:22 AM
#4
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 34,858
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I am not intimately familiar with exchanges, but I think which you should choose would depend upon your interests. Do you have no particular interests at all in any of those countries or their language? Because if you do, that would inform your choice.
What I mean is, have you been studying German or Italian in school? What are your career goals, if any?
Also, food culture doesn't mean a lot to me as there are certain kinds of food that I just don't care for (eg, Alsatian) even if it were a place with a food culture.
Despite that, I'd choose Strasbourg as I love the French language, French literature and classical music composers, etc. I do like German composers, who doesn't, but have no particular interest in reading German literature in the original, for example, and not in love with German cuisine.
So those are the kinds of things that should inform your choice. If you have no particular interest in any of those cities nor their countries nor language, I would probably rule out Frankfurt. Not because it isn't very central so could be good for traveling, but I've never heard of anyone who loved Frankfurt. And with only 5 weeks, you won't be traveling around that much, I imagine.
What does that mean, loves food culture? A city with a lot of cutting edge restaurants? Why not pick Padua, it's a very good university and lots of students there, and it's a smaller city than Strasbourg (which also has a good university). But if you disliked that type of cuisine, choose elsewhere. If you hate polenta, for example, risotto and grilled meats, but love sausages and pork and cabbage and beer, go to Strasbourg.
What I mean is, have you been studying German or Italian in school? What are your career goals, if any?
Also, food culture doesn't mean a lot to me as there are certain kinds of food that I just don't care for (eg, Alsatian) even if it were a place with a food culture.
Despite that, I'd choose Strasbourg as I love the French language, French literature and classical music composers, etc. I do like German composers, who doesn't, but have no particular interest in reading German literature in the original, for example, and not in love with German cuisine.
So those are the kinds of things that should inform your choice. If you have no particular interest in any of those cities nor their countries nor language, I would probably rule out Frankfurt. Not because it isn't very central so could be good for traveling, but I've never heard of anyone who loved Frankfurt. And with only 5 weeks, you won't be traveling around that much, I imagine.
What does that mean, loves food culture? A city with a lot of cutting edge restaurants? Why not pick Padua, it's a very good university and lots of students there, and it's a smaller city than Strasbourg (which also has a good university). But if you disliked that type of cuisine, choose elsewhere. If you hate polenta, for example, risotto and grilled meats, but love sausages and pork and cabbage and beer, go to Strasbourg.
Apr 27th, 2017, 11:37 AM
#5
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 621
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Poor OP. Just gets himself into more confusion
OP:
This is a travel forum not an educational forum. Surely you can get answers to your questions from your program sponsors, your program hosts, your program organizers and previous users of the program.
Traveling to a given location is a lot different than spending five weeks "planted" learning a language that is foreign to you and the "locals."
Part of foreign language instruction is learning to use the language in everyday contact with native speakers. Since your program doesn't seem to include this essential component of language learning, I wonder about its value.
OP:
This is a travel forum not an educational forum. Surely you can get answers to your questions from your program sponsors, your program hosts, your program organizers and previous users of the program.
Traveling to a given location is a lot different than spending five weeks "planted" learning a language that is foreign to you and the "locals."
Part of foreign language instruction is learning to use the language in everyday contact with native speakers. Since your program doesn't seem to include this essential component of language learning, I wonder about its value.
