Sunday, February 28, 2016

Cultural Identity and Intercultural Communication (CL)

One of the first things I am asked by people I meet when they learn I'm from the United States is what I think of Donald Trump. In some cases, it's brought up pretty directly, in others, more indirectly. The other day at a restaurant a man walked up to our table, saying, "You're Americans? You know Donald Trump? He's crazy!" 

My host mother brought up Donald Trump one of my first nights, saying that it's fun to laugh at him. "Well, it's scary," I said, and she agreed, saying that it is hard for the French to understand how someone like that can run for president. 

Someone else once brought up the subject by asking if I followed politics, and starting to list off the names of the candidates in the American election. "Clinton..." 

"Sanders," I said. 

"Right, yeah, and Trump?" 

"Unfortunately." 

While watching TV with my host mother one evening, the American elections came up again, and she said, "I think we know more about you than you know about us." 

"That's probably true," I said. 

"We like to follow American politics," she said, "so we can laugh at it. Americans don't know as much about us." It's true. In general we tend not to pay much attention to the politics of other countries. I know a little bit about French politics, but only because I've been studying French for years.

While I was trying out classes, one of the professors asked if we found certain flags prettier than others. "We find the American flag and the English flag pretty," she said. I almost winced - for me, the American flag is very much tied to the idea of "patriotism". I always think of older White men talking about how much they love their country, where they can be free - to impose their beliefs on other people.

It's not unexpected that Trump keeps coming up as a topic of conversation because I'm American. Our national identities may be brought to the forefront when we travel somewhere else. These images that come up for me when I think of the word "patriotism" are also, I believe, the images that come up for the French when they think of Americans, especially with all the media coverage of Trump lately. The French image of Americans, or at least part of it, is one of ignorance and nationalism. What is this belief based on? The news, where Donald Trump's face is plastered. This isn't something that can be denied or refuted on a large scale. Yes, Donald Trump is running for president, and yes, he has a frightening amount of support. They're not wrong. 

How I personally am perceived by strangers varies depending on how I appear on that individual day. On days when I look dressier, wear fashionable dresses and tights, I am sometimes seen as English. On days when I wear baggy men's clothing many sizes too large for me that I found in thrift stores, I am more likely to be perceived as American. I don't know how much I believe in blending in. Maybe it's nice on some days, to not stand out. On others, it may not be fashionable, but sometimes the way I dress is a small form of rebellion, a small form of self-expression.

Every time a song in English plays on the television, my host mom sings along and asks me if I know the song. She also tries to compare Angers to what she believes me to have come from, though she's never been there. "I guess Angers is probably smaller than Fayetteville?" 

"No, Angers is a bigger city than Fayetteville." Angers has a population of 147,571. Fayetteville, Arkansas has a population of 78,960. But because I come from the United States, she was assuming that everything was bigger. 

She also likes to point out American brands. "You know H&M? Everybody knows H&M." Or, "I hear that the McDonald's here is better than McDonald's in the United States." I have no doubt. 

One night more recently, my host mom felt that she had sounded me out enough that she could bring up politics again. "Things are worse than they used to be. It's not because of age that I say this. When I was 18 I was able to afford an apartment. That's just not possible anymore. I think it's like that for you, too." 

"Yes, it is," I said. 

"You young people are brave," she said. "There's so much violence today, and it's so hard to find jobs."

I'm still feeling out what the French think of me, my host mother in particular. Sometimes she brings up "boyfriends or girlfriends" or "boyfriends and girlfriends" in passing. Example: "That's a good place to bring your boyfriends and girlfriends." I had a lot of thoughts at first, all at the same time. Is my host-mother slut-shaming me? Does she think I'm like that because I'm American? Or is she just being non-judgmental and giving me options?  I'm starting to believe that she's just acknowledging that I haven't talked about my orientations and she doesn't know which ones I have. The other day she was giving an example of what something meant, and said, "If you were to fall in love with a boy or a girl..." 

Friday, February 26, 2016

The Five Senses Monteverde

I am currently unable to post pictures, but hopefully that will come later. I have been surprised by the remoteness of my program, both pleasantly and unpleasantly. Internet is spotty at best if at all present and to get cell service I have to constantly refill minutes on my phone at a grocery store (it cannot be done remotely). Despite these inconveniences and occasional frustrations, my experience in just a few short weeks has been incredible and completely worth it. There are 22 other students in my program and we have been travelling to different national parks along the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. I can honestly say that I have never been to a more naturally beautiful place. I have climbed 20 feet high in a mangrove forest (nature's jungle gym) and sliced up my hands in the process, snorkeled the reef of la isla del cano with countless colorful fish, hiked 18 miles through an old growth tropical rain forest to a huge sandy beach void of any other people, and stood under three 30 foot waterfalls.

The touristy slogan here is "Pura Vida," but even though it mostly shows up on t-shirts and shot-glasses it actually makes sense when you venture into the more wild places in this country and realize how happy locals are to be living in two room houses without hot water or wifi or cell service. They don't miss it. Even in San Jose, the sprawling, noisy, smoggy, and smelly capital city, people living on a lot less than the average American are still are far more relaxed and friendly, even with foreigners like us who's Spanish is deplorable. We had to complete a scavenger hunt one day at the central market looking for exotic fruits and I cannot imagine trying to complete the same task in any American city because it required so much patience on the part of the sellers and every merchant we met with was completely willing to give us their time and smiles, even when we were not purchasing anything, just asking long annoying questions.

After we left San Jose, we traveled across the Pan American highway through the Talamanca mountains and down into Corcovdo National Park on the southern coast. Everything there is damp and humid. The biodiversity this kind of environment yields is astounding and the topography of the coastline is stunning. Our classes are structured around field experience, so our exams are based on species we find on our hikes. We are encouraged to touch and smell and use all of our senses to identify species, and always be looking for similarities between new discoveries and what we've already learned. This has been an interesting process of comparison, especially after we moved north from Corcovado to Santa Rosa which is bone dry and mostly secondary growth forest recovering from cattle farming 30 years ago. Now I am finally at the biological station in Monteverde at almost 3000 m in elevation where it actually rains and where I can actually unpack sleep on a mattress, and take a hot shower. I will soon begin Spanish classes and that should add yet another dimension to my cultural experience. I can't wait!

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Education; Duke Marine Lab

             
 For my first course, marine ecology, a typical day involved waking up at seven for breakfast, an hour lecture and then two and a half hours in the field. We’d have lunch, return to the field for about two hours and have a lecture for an hour before dinner at six. After diiner we had some free time, but were also expected to complete our scientific journaling each day. My second course, which I am currently in, is my independent study. This is a lot more self-motivated and involves completing my own work in the morning then spending the afternoons working with my advisor. 
                  Because I am studying at a university within the country I thought it would be interesting to ask a foreign student, Suzanne Ou, who attends Duke, questions about her country’s education in Singapore. I also asked a local student, Kathryn Loftus, her opinion on Dukes teaching style to look at Singapore’s, Duke’s, and Allegheny’s education.
                  Suzanne stated that ‘in [her] Asian culture, many families strongly emphasize the pursuit of higher education, mainly because many did not have access to it in their time. [Her] parents were fortunate enough to have had a college education, and made sure that [she] grew up recognizing the importance of not just the education but the access to it!” Singapore celebrated independence just over fifty years ago and in that time they have developed six national universities two of which are highly ranked within Asia and gain recognition for different disciplines on the world stage. Even with this, citizen still have “a general ‘grass is greener abroad’ mentality where degrees from private universities in the US and UK (which [their] education system is based on thanks to colonization) is more well regarded.” Students are expected to know their career goals before entering into a university so liberal arts is not a common concept.  Another interesting difference between US and Singapore higher education is the post-grad system or lack of. Professional degrees are six-year programs and there is no graduate school after a four-year degree. Additionally, universities there are much more affordable than private education in the US. “Government scholarships also cover school tuition in exchange for six years working in the civil service, such as in the Ministry of Education” which another student at duke from Singapore will be joining when he completes his education. Learning style is extremely structured leaving little time for additional study of anything outside the syllabus. It has been criticized for its lack of room for creativity.
                  I believe Duke and Allegheny have very similar education systems. Both are private liberal arts colleges with size being one of the bigger differences. Like Allegheny there is a multitude of courses you can fit in while still fulfilling your major requirements depending on your area of study. Katie stated that at Duke “there is a wide array of classes and subjects you are able to choose from when making a schedule” and having classes within varying subjects is required.  Extracurriculars are a major part of the Duke campus.  Most students are in either Greek life, Selective living groups (like our special interest houses), or are in clubs or club sports. This isn’t so much the case for the Marine Lab, which differs much from main campus. There are no extracurriculars here and course choices for the semester can be limited to two to three classes in each module. All the classes are hands on lab/field work based. Expectations and how students are evaluated are similar between the two schools. Although only four classes are required each semester it is not uncommon to see students taking more. Paper assignments or exams are a large portion of each courses grade. Students are held to high expectations both academically and socially.
One major difference I’ve learned about is Duke summer service program ‘Duke Engage’. Students apply and can go on one of many school-funded trips to different countries learning and doing service work. Through this and study abroad about 550 students travel each year (about a third of one class). To me this seems like a higher portion than Allegheny students.
                  When comparing these two liberal arts colleges to universities and education in Singapore I believe the biggest difference is the choices students have with their schooling.  Many undergraduates in the United States come in undeclared or they change their major a few times. Also, we have a list of specific classes needed to graduate but we have the ability to take electives that are interesting and can be outside the box of our area of intended study. Students don’t have to come to school right after completion of lower education, they have the luxury to take time if they want or wait to attend college when they’re older. There is freedom in how we partake in higher education.

I’m not sure how much my approach to learning will shift from being at the Marine Lab. The experiences I’ve gained here have been exciting and in a subject I’m passionate about. Returning to Allegheny might feel overwhelming at first because I’ll go back to taking four classes at once rather then one class intensely for three to four weeks. One of the largest impacts this semester has had on me so far is the enthusiasm and confidence I’ve gained in my ability to complete my senior research project.

Cultural Identity and Intercultural Communication in Angers (JL)

This is what I get for going to an
"American" themed restaurant. I would
like to point out that it was delicious!
Before arriving in France, I would tell people that Angers was a "small town" because relatively speaking, it is. At least in comparison to some of its fellow cities. But in reality, Angers is a city. A smaller city but a city nonetheless. I am able to find people around who don't really know much about the United States and were never interested, which baffled me. However, it dawned on me that there are many of those people all over the United States, too. Some people in the US are perfectly content with their lives, never needing to step across any border except for the all-inclusive English speaking vacation to huge foreign cities. I learned that French people can be the same way.
I had always imagined all French people (actually, all Europeans) were grand adventurers who traveled halfway around the world to a different exotic location every year. Before I arrived, my host parents thought the very same thing about Americans. They speak no English except for the phrase "Would you like more wine?" to which the answer is always yes please! 
When asked what they thought of America/Americans, the general vibe I got was that they didn't really know much about America. I was able to deduce this based on their limited knowledge of "somewhere there was New York City and somewhere else there was Texas, and also we have large kitchens." Their perceptions were based on a couple movies they have seen. My host parents are very content to just live in France and not worry about the happenings of the United States. This shattered my perceptions instantly. It was mutually shocking because they believed I had already traveled around the world as an American when, in fact, this is my first trip outside of the US! As it turns out, what I thought of French people is the same thing that they thought of Americans, and both were false stereotypes! Since then, I have begun to be their mold for what Americans are like.
The tram is my ride to school everyday
               unless I want to walk for 45 minutes
I feel more attached to the culture of Angers everyday, accomplishing little tasks that make me feel like I belong here. For example, I am slowly becoming a master at public transportation, which oddly makes me feel more like a native than anything else. Conversations over dinner with my host parents range from vacationing in the Alps to cultivating their summer garden. The whole "small town" gig I had been telling my friends and family was both true and false. It is true because there is the essence of a small town even in the heart of the city. While you can turn at every corner and eat at a different boulangerie for every day of the year, Angers still has its regularities to it. For example, I started seeing strangers two, three, four or more times all over Angers! It didn't matter if it were in the center of town, at a patisserie, or on public transportation. Furthermore, the talk of the town is not just small talk. I have witnessed my host parents continue talking with their neighbor as if there wasn't a week that separated them from their last conversation.  People are a closer knit community in Angers than I thought, and it is something I am very willing to accept during my stay here, 
I noticed how welcoming of a city Angers can be, even if some of its inhabitants are blunt on the outside, the city is warm at its heart. (Except for the lack of sun that makes it too cold for however many layers you wore that day.) With it's very limited English speaking capacity (reserved almost exclusively for some hotels, the Château d'Angers, and a few restaurants), it feels like a true immersion in a French city, and I am especially glad not to have everyone assume I am American and speak in English to me. It's nice to try learning something while I'm here for 4 months!
It is almost embarrassing to me that the few things people do know about the United States is the size of our "eating room" and the state and city that apparently represent us.  I often use New York as a starting point when I try to describe Pennsylvania to foreigners, usually without success because the name is more well known than a location on a map! I often forget too, that I am a foreigner here. I think I already feel more a part of Angers now than I did before I began typing this blog. I am falling in love with France, especially their bread and cheeses. Saturday mornings would begin to wonder about me if I didn't mosey down to the market for a baguette and a huge pile of cheese. 
On that very French note, I'll leave this blog until next week, after I have a healthy store of baguettes and cheese stored up for the rest of the month! 

Until next time! A bientôt!

Education, Lancaster, MN



OK. School. The reason we are all here. Well let me begin by saying that Lancaster University is a lovely place. They have a wider range of programs at Allegheny so I am able to take a wide variety of classes here. Instead of just econ courses I am taking a mix of Business law, information systems, and marketing classes. Overall, it is proving to be an interesting experience. Since I am an econ major, and a rather blunt person, I am just going to write a nice bulletined list of things that have surprised me here:

1. At Allegheny I usually had class for 3 hours a day on average, whereas at Lancaster I have 7 hours of class a week. I have so much free time it's nuts. I don't know what to do with myself. Luckily, 2 minutes off campus looks like this:

Fun Fact: I think Bilbo Baggins probably lives on the other side of that hill
I think I'll find something to do with my time :)
 
2. Our entire grade boils down to a final exam that is about 3 short essay questions. It's only a little intimidating. Luckily you get like 3 months to study for these exams, so it shouldn't be that bad, right? Anyways I feel confident that I will be just fine. 

3. People here really feel no need to go to a lecture. You don't know what awkward is until you and just 20 other people are in a lecture hall made for 200. I feel like everyone generally attends class at Allegheny, since the professor is bond to notice in a class of 15 kids.

4. Professors don't really use text books here. Instead they just assign 30+ recommended readings from bits and pieces of random books. Which can be kinda confusing. I feel like a professor at Allegheny, at least in the Econ dept, sticks to like 2 text books maximum. Also most of these books can only be accessed online by one student at a time via the library.  Here is a picture of one of my e-books explaining how the internet works:
*crying in a corner cus this is hard*
5. Other students here feel rather secure about their futures. While not everyone is guaranteed a 6 figure salary, everyone feels like they will come out of Uni with the ability to support themselves. Whereas back home, there is a greater competitive spirit to be the best, get a job with the most powerful firm, etc. 

6. Lancaster's sustainability movement makes Allegheny's look like child's play. They have a huge ES department and not to mention a giant wind turbine towering above campus. Every light is motion detectable so you can't leave the lights on. In general, being more sustainable is more ingrained in England culture than in the US, which is what makes the biggest difference, in my opinion. Just look:    
Ironically this tree was flown in from California...not very sustainable
 Yep. That's a tree. In a Library. How Eco-friendly is that?

 7. Living here is similar at Lancaster, in the manner that most people live on campus. However, many second years traditionally live in town, but return the campus for their third year.  Many more people live together in flats or townhouses on campus. For example I live in a 12 person town house with 9 men. Ever wondered what it's like to have brothers? Come to my townhouse and you'll find out. Fortunately, I get along very well with my housemates because I am usually down to play pool and watch 300 or something. 

8. There are little to none social-class barriers in England Education since Uni here is actually affordable (*gasp* what a concept!).  So pretty much anyone who wants to further their education can if they want. However, many of the exchange students, especially those from Asia appear incredibly wealthy.  For example, there is one kid who sits next to me in my e-commerce class who has a blue, unidentified reptile (I suspect sting ray) skin jacket. This jacket is probably an Alexander McQueen and is worth more than my entier bank account. While most students from the UK or Europe seem to come from Blue Collar families. Everyone does seem to co exist in the end. This is different than Allegheny, since most students are pretty well off seeing they can manage the tuition. 

9. I really do miss Allegheny professors. They are the best. Professors here never really learn your name, even in upper level class. Most professors only have one office hour a week. Just one :( Oh well. The classes are developed in a manner that you shouldn't need to talk to your professor to grasp a concept or plan a project. However, I still miss the dedication Allegheny Faculty has for their students.

Belgian Waffles in Bruges, Belgium
The Atomium: the Eiffel Tower of Belgium
Overall, this has been a readjustment, but I have a feeling the biggest readjustment will happen when I return home. Lancaster University is a great school and I am defiantly learning new things. It is crazy that I have been here for almost 2 months. I have so much planned ahead, I can't wait to share all the memories!
                   

Education: Paris, LT

Studying with BU in Paris has been a very interesting and eye opening experience. Although it was explained to us during orientation week that our professors who are all french were encouraged to adopt teaching styles that considered more ‘American’. But even with this information there are still quite a few very noticeable differences between the classes that I am taking here and the ones I have taken at Allegheny.

Afficher l'image d'origineFirst off a normal day for me would start with a 30-40 minute metro ride to school, which is typical for University students living in Paris because on campus housing is not really a thing here. Preparing for my 2 and a half hour long class I usually make myself an espresso from the espresso machine that is in the student kitchen in the BU building. The difference in the length of time of a class period is one of the major differences that I have to be eye opening. At Allegheny the longest class period that I have had has been an hour and a half long but most of my classes have only been 50 mins long. However in the Boston University program each class period is 2 and a half hours long, with a 10 to 15 min break at the 1 and a half hour mark. I have also learned that in French Universities it isn’t uncommon for classes to be up to 3 to 4 hours long. Although sitting in a classroom for that long isn’t my cup of tea, I have found that for language classes it is very useful because in that time the Professor can thoroughly cover a lot of information. However personally I have found that at a certain point my brain has a hard time keeping up with all the information being through at it.


Another difference I have noticed between Allegheny and BU Paris, is that there is a very different connection between professor and student. In the french system, what I have observed is that the professors are more critical of students. Whereas in America there is very much of a nurturing and guidance structure to schooling. Both methods have their merits but as an American learning under french professors who even though are ‘Americanizing’ their teaching methods, do come off as a little more strict and pointing more towards the flaws. Although I do find this helpful in the way that it shows me what exactly I need to work on.

Afficher l'image d'origineIn many of my assignments for class, I have been encouraged to interview my french friends to ask them about their education and plans after graduation and have learned that with the high percentage of unemployment job prospects aren’t guaranteed. So instead of going straight into the job market it is expected of students to participate in several internships before hand, which in itself is not uncommon from the way it works in the States. However there are laws making it illegal for interns to work for free, which can be a common occurrence in America. Another problem with the internship hunt as was explained to me by my friend, that I find is also a universal struggle, is that many internships require previous experience the whole point of doing an internship is to get experience to in the end finding a place to work or intern right after school is always hard. 

I feel that when I return to Allegheny I will be grateful to return to the shorter class periods. But I will miss the intercultural experience with the new teaching methods.

Cultural Identity and International Communication (AS)

The saying “home is where the heart is” resonates in my head a lot when walking down the streets of Angers. I have yet to find my home here. It has only been a few weeks, so hopefully that will arise soon. Yet what would classify as the heart in this situation, creating a home? For me, it is a feeling of comfort or the acceptance of uncomfortable circumstances in what would be the home. I currently have been tackling some small issues with my host family, which has made it harder to feel at home in what is supposed to be my home away from home. I hope to have happier news on the living situation soon, but that doesn’t keep me from falling in love with the city of Angers.
            Angers is a beautiful city filled with so much life. I am, for the most part, pleased beyond all belief to be in this city. There is only really one thing that bothers me though, all the smoke. Unfortunately, it seems that no matter where, so long as I am in France, I am in a smoking zone. In movies and on TV, even in books, the French character always has a cigarette in hand. In the US, the view upon smoking and those who smoke are a bit different than here. As a non-smoker, I feel as though I am the minority. As much as one has control of their own body and what they out into it, the secondhand smoke agitates my asthma, making it much more difficult to breathe. This is the norm though; smoking is still okay for those who want to smoke. It is a social activity of French culture.
            I have not been asked a lot about American culture besides the questions from my professors. When people ask if I am American they are either thrilled and ask me twenty million questions about the upcoming elections (which I learned that I actually know a lot more about politics than I let myself believe) or give me a look like I just vomited on them.  I know that the US has done some things in the past that are unfavorable to any country, but I still am proud to be American. It is not a label to be ashamed of. The United States is and forever will be my home. I am not someone that runs around waving the biggest American flag with a beer in hand and screaming ‘Murica or anything, but I love my home. Answering questions about the US is satisfying because I am able to share that there is more than just Donald Trump and fast food restaurants.
            The only real conversation I was able to get out of my host mother was that on the subject of same sex marriage. During dinner, when it is just the two of us, we listen to the radio and we eat. Something about the difficulty of marriage came up and I asked her if she knew of any married same sex couples. She said something along the lines of that she had friends who were “roommates” or “neighbors who decided it would be more economically beneficial to live together” (which was actually what she said) and anything else that would cover the fact that they were indeed a couple. It still bothers me that, no matter where in the world I am, there are still issues concerning same sex
marriage. This hits close to home to me because, as I explained to her, my best friend and his boyfriend were picking out engagement rings and were asking my opinion (yay!). She seemed shocked that it could just easily be done like that “in the open”. She then asked me if I knew any couples that were already married, and I realized that this is an issue in France more so than in my life in the states. I explained how in high school, one of my friends had two moms, but weren’t as open about their relationship. My best friend in college has two moms. I have friends who are completely open about their life and how they live it. That’s how it should be; it’s normal. My host mother thought it was great that things seemed so easy, and I tried to explain to her that there are still things that the US needs to work on.

On a different note, I want France to be my home away from home. There will always be things that I will want from home (right now its Chipotle) but I know that when I go home, all I will want is French bread and cheese. Sometimes it is hard to adjust to a new way of life, luckily I’m in a beautiful, welcoming city with so much more to learn about their, and other surrounding cultures.

Education: Mexico (LRW)

The education system in Mexico is more or less similar to the education system in America, with a primary school, a secondary school, and a number of different colleges and universities. The United Nations Human Development reports on education in Mexico state that most Mexicans are expected to attend, on average, thirteen years of school, and the adult literarcy rate is around 95% of the population. However, there are some significant differences between education in Mexico and in the United States.

First of all, education here is a huge status symbol, almost as much or more so than what type of clothes you wear, what car you have (or if you have one at all) and where you typically go on vacation. Do you attend a university? Is it private or public? Which one? Simply by telling someone that I am a study abroad student at the Tecnológico de Monterrey, it´s not uncommon for me to see some eyebrow raises. The Tec is for the top 1% of the Mexican population (quick clarification: it´s not a tech school, that´s just the abbreviation for the name of the unversity- it´s a college like any other). As I was told, it´s either for students who are "really rich, or really smart." Because of this, I realize that my experiences here are not exactly reflective of what a "typical" university in Mexico would look like.
Las fresas- the strawberries
Most Tec students don´t take a bus to school, and of those who do, certainly none of them go to the effort to get the student pass which is four pesos cheaper than the usual fare (I waited in a line for more than two hours to get mine). Many dress up for class as if they are attending an important business meeting, and wear American brand names like Hollister or American sports teams merchandise. In the Prepa Tec, or the highschool that is on the same campus as the university, students who take part in the cultural program travel to Europe or the United States during the summer break, and most of them have been to more parts of the U.S. than even I have. One of my professors joked that a more appropriate cultural experience would be for them to visit Oaxaca, or another rural part of Mexico, as living in the upper-class society of Mexico really isn´t too different than the United States. By way of Mexican slang they are "fresas," which literally translates as strawberries, however the closest English translation is probably "preppy." For me, because it´s already obvious that I´m a foreigner by my facial structure and skin tone, being perceived as that "probably super-rich foreigner who attends the Tec" is even more uncomfortable.

Los fresas- the prepsters
Here in Mexico, private schools are almost always better quality than public schools, and many private schools are catholic. Starting in the primary school up until college, every school requires that their students wear a uniform, even public schools, so it´s not uncommon to see children in matching uniforms walking in groups in the afternoon, or being hustled along by their parents in the mornings. Unlike America, some college systems also have elementary, middle, and high schools all in the same complex, so students could potentially attend the same school, or rather school system, their entire academic career.


For me, the most obvious difference in the way classes are taught here is the emphasis on group projects. Every single one of my classes has already had a number of group projects this semester, and for some of my classes a group project will also be my final grade, which is drastically different than the class structure in the United States (and especially terrifying for an individualist like me). I think this emphasis is a both a reflection of the very group-oriented, collectivist society that is predominant in Latin America, as well as a push by the university to foster connections which could later be strategic in the business world.

A photo I took of the campus my first week here
These connections represent very real job opportunities. In Mexico, nepotism is not uncommon, and job applicants are often hired on the basis if they are family, or if the boss has a friend whose family member is applying for the position, than actual job qualifications. If anything, a university like the Tec is most reflective of the extremely separated, and widening, social classes which are evident in Mexico. On my walk to school in the morning, I pass by an indigenous mother and her young daughter wandering through the traffic, stopping at car windows to beg for money, before using my school pass to scan into the turnstile which lets me into the campus parking lot, sporting brands like Audi and Mustang. Most students have lighter skin, just as the stars in the Telenovas- the only darker, more indigenous-looking people you will ever see on campus are the guards and the cleaning staff. Education is an important reflection of a society´s social structure, and this is more true than ever in Mexico. I hope that education reforms, such as those which the current president Enrique Peña Nieto is attempting to put into place, will improve access to education for all.

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Education: Lancaster University

Post 4
2-25-16
Education

One of the most easily identifiable differences I have encountered in Lancaster is the difference in education. I am constantly referencing how things are done here versus back home, simply trying to grasp my bearings. Changing university’s for a semester abroad was a challenge, especially early on in the semester. It was almost like starting college all over again. That first weekend I was having flashbacks to freshman year, but I felt considerably different having grown so much since then. The first few weeks were a challenge, as I was somewhere completely new. I got lost a few times searching for my classes and my professor’s office and sometimes even the restroom in a building I had never navigated before. From getting the finances figured to locating the laundry room, it really felt like starting all over again. It really put into perspective just how much I have adjusted to the college lifestyle.

The biggest difference in the British system of higher education is the fact that they study at University for only three years instead of four. This has done nothing to really affect my studies here though. The challenges I faced were coming into a yearlong course midway through the year to a classroom already familiar with its peers and professor. Gathering the context of discussions and trying to keep up were only minor setbacks to the start of my semester here, and I was able to easily transition into the course material with the help of classmates and my professors.

Lancaster is a rather large university, especially in comparison to Allegheny. Compared to some schools in the states, and even here in the UK, however, it is considered quite small. Like larger universities in America, it operates under a lecture/seminar system. This means there is a large lecture provided for each class that is followed up by a small group seminar. The largest lecture I’m enrolled in here has over one hundred people, and it takes place in a large lecture hall. The follow up seminar is a few days later, and it discusses in detail the lecture. Lectures are not a place for students to question their professor and discuss the material. This is saved for the seminars, where you are encouraged to discuss the lectures and readings assigned for the week. Professors give the lectures, while students lead the seminars. That is to say, the seminar leaders are still in school to become a professor. All of my seminar leaders are considerably young, just several years older than myself. They remember very well what it was like to be a student at our age, and so there is a connection made there that adds to the atmosphere of the learning environment.

Enrolled in a school that uses this system has taken some getting used to, as it is very different from Allegheny’s liberal arts structure. At Allegheny, your semester is filled with papers, projects and tests that help keep you on track with the course and offer visible progress with grades. Here it is a bit different, in that your progress is measured at the end of the semester with your exams. There are a few papers and small projects scattered throughout, but the emphasis is on the exams. This is what I think I’m struggling with most here. I am constantly worrying that I’m not doing enough work to be sure I will pass my exams. It is hard to measure a semester’s worth of knowledge and retain it all for a culminating exam. There is also seemingly more pressure to do well, as the majority of your success in the course depends on your exam scores.


Overall I’m making my way smoothly in terms of education here, though I will be glad to return to Allegheny and the wonderful departments in education there.