Sarah Book L’Institute National Polytechnique de Grenoble
Grenoble, France (Summer 2006)
Where did you study and what were classes like?
I was fortunate enough to be able to study abroad in Grenoble, France at a university in the heart of the Alps. My program lasted a duration of six weeks and I received six credit hours for it. Three hours counted towards my technical elective requirements and the other three counted towards my general elective requirements. I took engineering courses in fuel cell technology and digital image processing. I also took a mandatory French language course. All of the classes were very interesting and allowed me to learn something different than what I would have learned at Purdue.
What can you say about French culture?
As part of my education abroad, I took a class called French Culture and Environment as well as a cooking class and a wine-tasting class. I learned a lot about the differences between American and French culture. The wine-tasting and cooking classes were amazing. I learned how to make things like Coq au Vin, quiches, and mousse chocolat. There were also many tours available to us including a trip to a French monastery, a distillery, and hikes that led us to castles.
Did you get to travel around and see things?
I was also privileged with the time to visit a few other countries. I had one week off from class in the middle of my stay, in which I was able to travel through Italy and Switzerland. I also spent a weekend in Barcelona. I managed to learn a little Italian and practice my Spanish as well as French. It was very exciting to hear so many languages. In every country, the people were always helpful. I bought a Eurail Pass, which enabled me to travel through different countries on 15 different days for one set price. Because of this, I was able to just hop on a train to Switzerland one Sunday because I was bored. On another occasion, I decided on a whim that I wanted to visit Pisa while I was staying in Florence. While hiking down a mountain one day in Grenoble, we ran into these never-ending steps in the woods (picture below left). After hiking one day for 5 hours to the peak of a mountain, we discovered a castle with a restaurant inside. This second shot is us enjoying a French feast after a hard climb (we were on the farm eating).
What advise can you give to other potential Study Abroad students?
The adventures were never-ending, and I would go back in a heart beat. I hope everyone has the opportunity to do this…at least once. It is worth every penny and will leave you with unforgettable memories that you will cherish for the rest of your life. If you are trying to decide whether or not to study abroad…Just DO IT!
