Bravo found that GE3, however, was not as helpful as she expected from a program affiliated with RPI. Late notification of her acceptance into the program made her feel out of the loop, and she was frustrated with the inability of the program to provide updated information regarding available courses, lodging, or meal plans. With just a few weeks left before she was scheduled to depart for France, “All I knew was that I had to arrive in Lyon by January 6,” Bravo recalled.

Fortunately, Bravo was able to get in touch with the international student’s office at INSA and received the necessary information to make the transition to France smooth. Though she found the GE3 program unhelpful, Bravo noted that Dr. DePaola, her biomedical engineering advisor, and Lorrie Citarella, coordinator of student affairs for the biomedical engineering department, were helpful to her during the process.

Once she arrived at INSA, Bravo enrolled in courses that counted toward her major, including physical chemistry, composite materials, crystallography, and mechanics of deformable solids. She also took a French language class. Studying in a different country opened Bravo’s eyes to different teaching practices and evaluation methods. In-class assignments were not graded, and there was no homework. The only factor that contributed to a grade in a course was the final exam. Though Bravo mentioned that one semester is not enough time to adjust to such a different academic environment, she managed well enough to keep up with her classes.

The experience of studying abroad influenced Bravo’s understanding of other cultures. “I believe that every country is proud of their culture, and the French are really no different. People say they are stuck up and rude, but really they are just proud,” she explained. She learned that understanding a culture is a complex process, and debunked the myth that French people do not want to speak English to Americans who cannot speak French. Bravo observed that many French people do not want to speak English because they are embarrassed about their accents.

Bravo immersed herself in the French culture, and came away with many rich experiences. She spent Sundays shopping at traditional French markets for fresh cheese, fruits, and wine, and enjoyed picnics with classmates in nearby parks. She acquired a bike that she used to travel around Lyon, read the newspaper in order to improve her French, and enrolled in several fitness classes, including tango. She also joined the ski club and spent several weekends snowboarding in the French and Swiss Alps.

Bravo spent her remaining free time traveling throughout France and to various countries in Europe. Over the course of a single semester, she managed to visit 32 cities in 16 different countries! “Seeing Europe was one of my goals and I believe it was mission accomplished,” Bravo boasted. Since Bravo is fluent in three languages, with Spanish being the third, she had never found herself in the situation of not understanding the language being spoken. While visiting some friends in Copenhagen, however, she experienced the sensation that accompanies a language barrier. From this experience, Bravo learned what it might be like to be a foreigner in America, and was able to place herself in the shoes of others.

Some of Bravo’s favorite memories include having barbeques with her classmates, going to the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona during Las Fiestas de San Fermin, seeing the red carpet at the Cannes Film festival, and going to the Formula 1 in Monaco. When asked the best thing about studying abroad, Bravo said, “deciding what to do every day.” The possibility to do and see extraordinary things and meet new and interesting people greeted Bravo each morning, and plentiful opportunities for cheap travel enhanced this excitement.

Bravo recommends that people interested in studying abroad should have an appreciation for the culture and the language. Even if you have not had the extensive experience that she has had studying languages, it is important to at least try to learn the language of one’s host country. In addition, though Bravo enjoyed her time spent at INSA, she noted that the school offers only engineering and language courses. She recommends saving free electives and humanities credits for studying abroad, and picking a program that allows one to take some engineering and some humanities courses, or possibly all humanities courses so that the experience can be more relaxing.