Thomas Reynolds - Spring 2004
L'Institute National Polytechnique de Grenoble, France

My Experience

Studying abroad, for me, turned out to meet and exceed every expectation that I had. In the short span of 6 months, I was able to tour Europe, meet and hang out with amazing people, experience a new culture, all while taking courses that counted towards graduation. And above all, I now have the language skills to feel comfortable speaking with any of the millions of French speakers around the globe.

I attended L'Institute National Polytechnique de Grenoble, or INPG for short, and was able to take materials science engineering classes with mainly native French students. Though it took a month or two to feel comfortable with all my classes being in French, both the other students and the professors were very helpful and helped me get caught up with the technical vocabulary needed for the courses. The classes themselves were very similar to the curriculum at Purdue, though they tended to be more theory oriented.

Free Time to Travel

Since I was taking a reduced class load in comparison to the native students, it gave me the free time needed to travel and explore the city and the surrounding Alps. For those lucky enough to know how to ski, the university offered lift passes for less than $10 a day at some of the best resorts in the world, and if you can't ski, there is an endless maze of mountain trails and roads to explore. You can even bump into celebrities, considering I ran into Lance Armstrong one day when we were both out riding! The city itself was also a great place. With 5 universities, there is no shortage of students to meet, and the centre-ville has beautiful architecture and a great selection of stores and bars where you can go to hang out.

Finally, studying in Europe was also a great opportunity to see all the neighboring countries. In the time I was there, I visited Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Greece, and Luxembourg. One of my friends visited over 20 countries in the same time period. The train system is quick and efficient, and if you look, you can get airplane tickets for as little as 7 euros.

Conclusion

In the end, the trip turned out better than I could possibly have hoped. I left with a much better understanding of European culture, myself, and with new friends that I can always go and visit. I can't wait to go back!