How to Get Ready for Studying AbroadIt was ail so misleadingly simple. I had studied Frenc

How to Get Ready for Studying Abroad

It was ail so misleadingly simple. I had studied French in college, and my university offered a year abroad in France. My scholarship would apply; credit for courses was assured; advisers were available on campus to discuss passports, visas, shots, international student IDs and driver' s licenses. A charter flight had been booked and housing had been arranged. There was even a list of suggestions for packing. What could be simpler？

Of course, we were told at the orientation meetings that it might be difficult to adjust to a foreign language, strange customs, and the European academic system. I remember paying insufficient attention. "The tour is arranged," I said to myself. "Everything works out."

And everything did work out--more or less--but I came across some big surprises. If you are planning to study overseas, let me suggest a few key points to consider before you leave the USA.

Learn the Language

In France, they speak French. Why, then, did ! not strive vigorously to learn the language before I arrived？ The requirement of two years of college French is minimal. One of my teachers warned that I was only marginally grounded in the language.

But learning to speak French in the US was hard work, so I put it off until I got to France, where I assumed language skills could be acquired effortlessly. Unfortunately, I was so embarrassed by my poor command of the language that I was afraid to speak.

Help came in the form. of a Gallic proverb: "In order to speak good French, you have to relax; and in order to relax, you have to drink wine. "At least half of that adage (谚语) proved to be true. The greatest obstacle to learning a foreign language isn' t vocabulary or grammar or pronunciation; it' s self-consciousness. I eventually learned to relax while making ridiculous mistakes.

Don't Insist on the American Way

Adjusting to another country demands changes in behavior. and an open mind. Daily bath ing, for example, is an American way of life, while many European cannot imagine why anyone would want to shower more often than once a week. Because I lived in a dorm, I could follow my hygienic habits, and the French theirs. But in some student housing, such freedom wash' t possible, either because the proprietors (经营者) considered dally showers extravagant or because there were no showers at all.

Social interactions can be a lot more complex. In France, for instance, a woman will not let a man pay for so much as a cup of espresso (浓咖啡) --to do so would be equal to inviting amorous (性爱的) advances. American women were assumed to play by the same rules, whether they knew the rules or not.

On the other hand, the French see absolutely nothing wrong with a group of young men dancing together. We male Americans were not about to dance without women--until one night when we went out on the town with several male French friends, and the lot of them took to the dance floor. Whenever such cultural customs conflicted, I had to choose to remain aloof and risk offending, or embrace their ways. I dance.

Some of these rules and customs can be learned in advance; others are picked up easily abroad. Remaining flexible is the key.

Be Prepared for Independent Study

The cultural difference that jolted me the most was in the university system itself. In Europe, the professor is a man on a pedestal (显要地位), expecting and receiving deference. His contact with students is minimal. Even in the classroom, students neither question nor discuss the material presented.

Attendance at the once-a-week classes is entirely voluntary. No assignments are given. The final exam does not consist of materials presented in lectures. The course is defined not by how much material a professor covers, but by a syllabus which lists the texts, periods, or literary

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