As he approaches the end of his Bachelor’s Degree and will soon begin his Master’s Degree, Quentin from France looks back on his past four years spent on an American campus that he describes as “the best four years” of his life.
The Beginning
Initially I wanted to go spend one year in the United States – to learn English – before coming back to France to finish my studies. However, I then found out I could complete a Bachelor’s Degree through an academic and athletic scholarship program. To be able to play tennis alongside my studies: the opportunity was too good… I couldn’t miss it.
Settling in
I left when I was 17. I was scared, my English level was far from amazing. But once there, I jumped right in and everything went smoothly. It did take me a couple month to adapt to the language and culture, but the fact that I was part of the tennis team made a huge difference: I wasn’t alone, I was never lost, and I right away created strong bonds of friendship with my teammates. I’ll have to say that thanks to the International Student Program from the university, even those who aren’t part of a team, receive a lot of help and support. The campus is full from students of different nationalities, it gives it a really nice atmosphere.
The Classes
The professors at my university are very welcoming and easily approachable outside of classes. They do everything they can to help us, which is really great for students trying to find their marks. The grading is done mainly through continuous and multiple-choice testing, and a lot of marks are attributed to attendance and completion of homework in due time, so I quickly realized that as long as I worked hard and did everything asked of me I would be okay, even if my English was not perfect.
“These 4 years went by quicker than I ever thought they would “
I met many people from different cultures and it opened up my views of the world. To be with my teammates 24/7 allowed me to build friendships I never thought possible before coming here. Furthermore, I had the chance, thanks to tennis, to travel all over the country. In 4 years, I visited more than 25-30 states, and almost all the big cities in the USA. I did not expect that either. I would give anything to relive these four years.
The United States
What I like most about this country is how easy it is to meet people and that it’s so easy to jump on opportunities. No matter what, as long as you give it your best, your work will be rewarded. People notice every little effort you put in. I am currently finishing my 4th year of my undergraduate, and thanks to my good results, I have been offered a scholarship to complete a graduate degree at another university. And even if this wouldn’t have happened, I could have stayed to work here with a temporary work contract. Here, there is always an option, and that’s what makes it so great.
This testimonial is a translation of the original testimonial collected by a Go Campus partner office. You can find the original testimonial here.
