Guest blogger: Brandon Faske
As if going to school in New Orleans wasn’t good enough, the opportunity to study abroad during your junior year makes your Tulane experience even better. Many people say that New Orleans is the most European city in American and with its deep French and Spanish influences, they are right. From the food to the music and outlook on life, New Orleans is unique in the United States. Yet, there is no substitute for living another culture first hand. That is why, there is nothing I can recommend more than study abroad.
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| Our host family for a day in Morocco |
I am a Spanish minor who believes in the importance of knowing more than one language. Accordingly, I decided to study abroad in Granada, Spain in the Andalucia region of the country. This program allowed me to fully immerse myself in the Spanish culture—taking classes in Spanish with Spanish students at the University of Granada and living with a host family all while living in a smaller city in which not all residents spoke English. The experience was a challenge and a learning experience that shapes the way I think about the world now that I am back home.
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| Myself with all of Granada in the background. |
When you study abroad, you engage in conversations with people with completely different lived experiences and outlooks on life. They often challenge your commonly held beliefs and viewpoints which will broaden your outlook. You learn new cultural values—some you will like and some you will not—that you can try to implement back home and discuss with friends. In Spain, the culture is significantly less competitive than the United States and embraces the community and time with the family. The traditional siesta is embraced; stores close in the late afternoon as families gather for a long lunch (which always leaves you in a food coma) before restarting the day. This eliminates stress and shortens the day. After work families will rejoin each for a smaller dinner late in the evening or to get tapas at the local café (and maybe a beer or two). These are just a few of the lifestyle nuances that everyone should get to experience and no matter where in the world you choose to study, you will have the chance to live a new lifestyle.
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| My roommate Adam Hoskins and I with our host parents in Granada |
While abroad, you will also have the opportunity to travel outside of your host country. I personally got to see Oktoberfest in Munich, the sights of Paris, the hills and villages of Northern Morocco, and the historic mosques and landscape of Istanbul all in my four months. There is no substitute for experiencing the world’s history and most interesting people. Travel is easy and relatively affordable while in Europe, so keep that in mind when choosing a location to go abroad. You really cannot make a mistake when selecting a destination though.
As Tulane often advocates, the best education takes place outside the classroom. When you study abroad you have the opportunity to apply what you’ve learned throughout your school years and apply it to the world at large. What can be more valuable than that?
