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By Sarah Kay
As every Smithie knows, ours is unique among American universities, offering a plethora of amenities not available to most college students. However, there are certain aspects of our lives here that we take for granted and would expect to encounter on any campus in the nation, such as dorms (or houses), dining halls, and plenty of out-of-class assignments such as the papers that keep procrastinators up till the wee hours of the morning.
Imagine, for a moment, being in a college that possesses none of these elements. Consider spending these four years without provided housing or meals, living in “real world” adult conditions that require paying rent, buying furniture, and grocery shopping, all while taking courses that comprise simply hours of systematic lectures and one final, oral examination on the entire course.
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Pierre Magdaleine-Guillot de Suduirot |
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These are among the stark contrasts first noted by Katarina Dusikova and Pierre Magdaleine-Guillot de Suduirot, members of Smith’s American Studies (AMS) program for international students. Students in AMS come from institutions across the globe, either immediately following or as a part of their own undergraduate studies; in the cases of these particular students, the schools of origin are the University of Florence and the Institute d’Études Politiques (better known as Sciences Po) in Paris, respectively.
Though they have only been at Smith, and in the country, for a short period of time, both Katarina and Pierre have had time enough to gain an understanding of the workings of the college, noting with surprise, pleasure, and occasionally exasperation, the changes in student life from that in their home countries.
First and foremost: our housing. Unlike every U.S. school to which the majority of Smithies applied, European schools do not provide any sort of on-campus dorms. The options, therefore, are to commute from home or take out a lease on an apartment as close to the university buildings as possible, without breaking the bank. With no real campus setting, dining is also a personal concern, so having meals provided is a welcome change, and even after living in Italy for most of her life, Katarina still gave an enthusiastic opinion of Smith dining.
Furthermore, both observed the difference in health care policies between their home countries and the U.S. Instead of the free public services, paid for by taxes, the individually-purchased insurance plans, mandatory for all Massachusetts residents, were a new entity for Katarina and Pierre. Arriving with a French insurance coverage, Pierre was even required to accept the campus policy – a much more costly option – because of discrepancies in coverage. The expenses are, as expected, less than appealing, but the assurance of care is appreciated.
The climate of living on a campus, with academic buildings so close to one’s living space can sometimes be overwhelming, said Pierre, since there is no real separation between one’s personal and academic surroundings, yet it is more convenient as well, for instances when library access or a meeting with a professor is crucial.
As far as academics go, the AMS students have had some difficulty acclimating to the American style of teaching. Unlike the large lecture halls of Europe, the small classes at Smith require more individual work outside of instructional hours, be it reading, writing, or crunching numbers for a particular course. With English as a secondary language, this can be particularly harrowing, though as Katarina noted, “We read so much and we have to participate so actively that I feel I’m getting much more information from each course, than in Italy.” Though it may be trying at times, the teaching style does come across as more effective in some ways, and helps to preclude some of the procrastination that hampers all students, regardless of personal background. Furthermore, the freedom to choose courses, especially electives, is a luxury. Here, majors practically change with the season; elsewhere, it means starting from square one.
Though they are fairly new arrivals to the American college scene and have not as yet had time to explore, Katarina and Pierre have expressed that they are pleased with what they have so far encountered, and hope to continue exploring the school and the area. With so much offered on campus, in the region, and across the continent-sized country, as Katarina put it, the experience is just beginning for these two, and all the others, in the AMS program.
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