International Experience
Studying abroad has been an exciting experience for me. I needed to familiarize myself with the culture of the foreign countries and places I could visit during my free time to avoid feeling lonely because I would be away from my friends and family. I traveled two weeks before the course began. I also wanted to visit as many tourist attractions as possible before getting busy with my studies.
Studying in Morrocco
The first country I relocated to for my studies was Morocco. I had watched various movies and documentaries featuring Morocco, so I had a slight idea of what to expect. The country also had a unique culture that I wanted to experience. I began my tour by visiting the Chefchaouen. My visit was quite productive because I experienced Moroccan culture firsthand by observing how people in the city behaved and how they interacted with one another. I then visited Tinghir to experience traditional French culture based on the buildings in the town. I ended my tour by visiting Agadir. I had always wanted to visit the town after watching a documentary on the 1960 earthquake that destroyed most parts of the town. I was impressed by how beautiful the place was and how determined the people were to develop it despite the uncertainty of whether another earthquake may happen.
Studying in France
My experience in France was a bit different from what I experienced in Morocco. There were many places to visit in France and the transport costs were slightly higher than in Morocco. One of the places I visited in France was Rocamadour. I was interested in visiting the place because I had read about it when reviewing articles discussing religion and religious beliefs. I was particularly interested in seeing the chapel and the other religious building around it to get an idea of what the pilgrims who climbed to the square top on their knees experienced. I then visited Corsica and ended my tour by visiting the Auvergne.
My Learning Experiences Abroad
My learning experience when studying abroad was challenging initially, but I gradually adapted. In Morocco, my greatest challenge was keeping up with the country’s religious beliefs and practices. The main religion in the country was Islam, and I did not agree with some of their religious beliefs. I avoided discussing religion to avoid conflicting with people around me, and sometimes, I could not disclose my religion. I was also not conversant with the national holidays in the country and was caught unawares whenever there were pending assignments that needed to be submitted before a national holiday. My learning experience in France was also challenging due to the language barrier. Most of the students spoke French, and some instructors also made some jokes in French, making me feel out of place in the learning environment. I also had difficulty adapting to the French cuisine served in most restaurants in the town where I was residing. Another challenge that made it hard for me to adapt faster in France was fashion. France is among the regions with fast-changing fashion trends (Rinallo and Golfetto 857). I had to change my dress code to avoid looking weird in school because I noticed during the first days that some people were staring at me because my fashion trend did not match that of other students. The pickpocketing rate in France was also high. I had to adjust my daily schedule to avoid leaving school during rush hours because pickpockets targeted international students and people leaving work during rush hours. I also had to make friends to avoid walking home alone. Despite the challenges I experienced studying abroad, I managed to complete my courses and graduated with the best grades.
Works Cited
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Rinallo, Diego, and Francesca Golfetto. "Representing markets: The shaping of fashion trends by French and Italian fabric companies." Industrial Marketing Management, vol. 35, no. 7, 2006, pp. 856-869.
