Wade KernerMSUB student infront of French castle

Age (while abroad): 27

Degree(s): Mathematics

Where did you go?:. Angers, France    

In what school did you study?: CIDEF / UCO

When did you go?:  Feb 2020 - June 2020 (Spring 2020 semester)

What was your prior language knowledge (if applicable)?:  Two semesters at MSUB
Have you studied abroad before?: No

Why did you do study abroad?: 

The math major program had a foreign language requirement of 2 semesters. I thought this was asinine so I decided to take more than 2 semesters and learn enough of a foreign language for it to be useful.

Would you do this again?: Yes

MSUB student at Mount St. MichelleWhat was your favorite part?:

Hands down it was communicating with other students from around the world. Being part of a conversation where the only shared language is a secondary language at best was humbling. It required patience from all the parties involved and when the message was comprehended there was a shared joy of knowing that what you said was actually understandable or that you understood something in a foreign language. There was a visible desire to say more, but at my classmates and my current level, we had to use other non verbal cues to fully understand the magnitude or meaning of a statement.

What was your least favorite part?:

The confinement because of COVID-19

How has study abroad affected your life now?:

It has raised my confidence in my abilities to travel around the world and provided me with a wealth of memories of a foreign country.MSUB student with French host family

What did you learn, outside of academics, from your study abroad experience?:

I learned that we are mostly the same; we just come from different parts of the world and have different accents.

What advice you would offer students interested in studying abroad?:

Do it. It’s not as expensive as you think, and it’s an incredible experience.