My day at Le Retour des Alpages in Annecy.
Author: HarLeigh Smith | Major: International and Global Studies | Semester: Fall 2023
This month of my program has been particularly eventful. In class, at the end of September, we officially started preparing for midterms. I was definitely nervous as I often struggle with test anxiety, but I think the in-class preparation was beneficial. My professor, Romain, gave us practice exams every class period for two weeks to allow us to adjust to the French test format. One of the most stressful parts of exams in France is that they can only be done in blue or black pen, so you have to be very careful not to make a mistake. Taking exams in France truly made me realize how long it has been since I’ve handwritten an essay because, for most of my classes in the U.S., the exams and essays are done online. Midterm exams were the second week of October, and I had an exam every day from 1:30-3:30 in every class except grammar. For my classes here, I only receive grades for midterm and final exams, so it is very important to me to study and get good grades. I am just now getting my grades back for these exams, but so far, I am doing well. The French grading system is very different from ours at UARK, so it was a little nerve-wracking at first. Midterms are now over, and fall break begins during the last week of October which is very exciting. My advisor here explained to me that many schools will take a break during this time as it falls around the holiday Toussaint. Now that midterms are over, I am officially halfway through my program which feels a little crazy, but I am excited to be back in Fayetteville. I am very grateful for my experience here, but I definitely miss my community at UARK.
Every October, cities in the area host a small festival where animals are moved from pastures in the mountaintops to farms closer to the city for the winter. My program group took a trip to Annecy which is approximately an hour and a half away from Grenoble to see the festival which they call Le Retour des Alpages. Here I was able to see so many wonderful animals and experience local cuisine like tartiflette. Many of the cows that go through the city will wear flower crowns or something similar to show that they were important to their herd in some way whether that be producing a lot of milk or just leading the herd. During this month, I also took a trip to Geneva with three of the other girls in my group: Alysse from UNC, Elena from Clark, and Sophie who is also from UARK. During this trip, I was able to see the United Nations in Geneva and the Old Town. I really enjoyed my trip to Geneva and even got to try fondue for the first time! For my fall break, I will be traveling to Copenhagen and Amsterdam, and I am excited to give an update about this trip next month!
Because I am now halfway through this program, I feel like I could give some reasonably good advice about living here. First, always plan ahead. Many things in France close on Sundays and early on weekdays, so be sure you have everything you think you may need. I can say from experience that it is difficult to do laundry when you don’t have anywhere to buy laundry detergent. Second, during your time abroad, work to build a support system around you because those people are necessary to get through the hard days especially when you are a little homesick. I am so grateful for the time I have gotten to spend in France, and I look forward to the next half of this program!