Program at UQ: Bachelor of Arts
As a student enrolled in Bachelor Arts majoring in French and philosophy, I saw an exchange program in France as a must. I saw it as something essential to what I'm studying and something that I just needed to do, to break out the routine of living in Brisbane. I had a lot of expectations about my year in France, and yet I still can't say whether it has lived up to them or even exceeded them.
Due to a university strike, I found the first semester extremely frustrating. I would turn up to lectures to find I was the only one there, never being quite sure of what'ss happening. My second semester has been running smoothly and I feel I've had a really good opportunity to experience what is to be a student in France. For those who are intimidated by the academic level, I would say that it's really not so high; you just need to really work out how French universities work because it's quite different.
After this year, I feel like I've properly grown up. I arrived in France knowing no one, struggling with the language having to work out everything for myself. I've since found a job, new friends, a girlfriend and an autonomy I couldn't get just living in Brisbane. While had so many great experiences, there were some hard ones as well, and they have both contributed to my growth as an individual. You really do feel like it's something so much huger than a holiday semester abroad.