Global Studies
profiles of AMS students:
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The Global Stride program
allows to apply their stipends
toward study-abroad costs or intensive language programs.
As part of the Global Stride scholarship, the fellows interviewed
and profiled international students in the college’s graduate
program in American Studies, to help familiarize
them with people who have made cultural transitions.
The Gate is publishing
their profiles in an occasional series.
By
Hannah Becker '15, Global Stride Fellow
Chloé Pulice GR, American
Studies Diploma program |
Chloé Pulice, an exchange student
from the University of Paris VII, Denis Diderot, is studying
international relations and politics at Smith this year through
the American Studies Diploma Program.
Before coming to Smith,
Chloé had already experienced a truly global education. She
was born and raised in a multicultural family in a neighborhood
outside of Paris, and commuted to university in Paris. Chloé has
also spent time studying in Malta, where she learned English
in only one semester, and had an extremely different student
experience.
She remembers her time at Paris
VII for its lack of student community, the long commute,
and her fatigue. Commuting to and from school took too much
time for her to have a student life—a common circumstance
at many French universities, where campuses are sparse, and
student-teacher relationships are minimal.
Reflecting on her experiences
in various university systems, Chloé highlighted the vast
differences between France and the Maltese and American schools.
For example, in France, there is a definite hierarchical
barrier between faculty and students, but at Smith and in
Malta, students are treated more as the equals of their professors.
In France, she explained, if
she asked a professor for help, they might contact an assistant
and deal with the question without input from the student.
In contrast, in America and Malta, a professor advises students
on whom to contact, and guides them further to find the information
themselves. Chloé initially
wanted to study in Lebanon, but when the opportunity to study
at Smith arose, she was excited. She believes that there
are more opportunities here for her than in other countries.
The differences between studying
in the U.S. or elsewhere are not only academic, Chloé explained. Relationships between
people in the U.S. are unlike those in France. While people
in the States are outwardly friendlier, they are less likely
to form deep relationships. In France, it is the opposite.
People won’t be friendly unless they want to create a close
friendship. This doesn’t faze Chloé, who is extremely social.
She enjoys the opportunities
to meet new people at the many parties and live music clubs
in the area. “People are very
open-minded here,” she said, something she loves that about
Smith.
As someone who has been studying
abroad for years, Chloé has a lot of advice for students looking to study in
a foreign country. Never be afraid of differences, she advises,
and always make contacts wherever you go.
“Any place can be beautiful
if you are happy,” she says. For Chloé, that means
having a good support network of friends, opportunities to
find good work, and having time to focus on herself.
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