France: Shalya Gulati

Program: UW in Paris, Spring

Major: Neurobiology

How were your program academics similar or different from taking classes at UW-Madison?

Program academics had both similarities and differences to UW-Madison classes. As a STEM major, most of my classes at Madison were lecture-based and had big class sizes, so it was a slight adjustment to the smaller, more discussion-based classes at UW in Paris. I took classes that were mostly unrelated to my major, which was a great change of pace for me, and I enjoyed getting to learn about things that I wouldn’t have here at Madison. My French classes were heavily discussion-based, as were my UW-Madison professor-led classes. Some of my other classes involved many field trips and hands-on activities. We got to go to museums and visit events that were relevant to the topics. One of my favorites was going to Salon International de l’Agriculture for my Culture & Cuisine class. There, we got to see animals and try foods that were competing for top prizes for French cuisine. Overall, you just have to be willing to adapt to different class structures, especially with those that involve more assignments and discussion than exams and vice versa.

What is the moment you are most proud of?

Going into the program, I did not know any French but it was one of my goals to learn the language while in Paris and understand it enough to hold a conversation. I took French classes while on my program and would try my best to always speak in French until it was obvious that I could no longer understand what was being said. I was most proud of myself when my friend, who was visiting from the US for spring break, and I went to dinner and I was able to speak entirely in French. I communicated with the hostess about our reservation and simple questions about my day. My friend, who didn’t speak any French was impressed because she knew I had learned it all during my time abroad. They even gave me the French menu instead of English! This rarely happened so it was one of the most exciting things when I realized all my language practice paid off.

What is your most memorable experience from your program?

Some of my favorite experiences in Paris that I will always carry with me were the simple things that I would do daily. My roommates and I would always stop at the boulangerie across the street from our apartment on the way to class. We would get weekly dinners somewhere new and just walk around and enjoy being in Paris. I will always remember going to the museums and shopping with them and my friends. Even just sitting in our apartment after a busy day of walking around and sight-seeing and recapping what we each did that day will be ingrained in my memory forever. I will always remember the big events I went to as well, but I think the little things that happened all the time will always be my favorite memories.