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Yana Miteva

Student Profile

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Yana Miteva

University of Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, France, Fall 2005/Spring 2006
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

My study abroad experience was at the University of Louis Pasteur (ULP) in Strasbourg , France where I spent an entire academic year- one of the most memorable periods of my life. Overseas I got to experience a completely different academic environment that I believe has immensely enriched my undergraduate education. I got to know Strasbourg- one of the most beautiful cities in France that I gradually grew to love and miss tremendously now that it's far away. Finally I got to meet wonderful people from all over the world and made friendships that I think will preserve for a long time to come. So if you are thinking about going abroad, but haven't decided for sure, my advice is do it and don't hesitate! If you have already made up your mind, but don't know which program to choose, go to ULP!

Why ULP. When I made the decision to participate in a study abroad program I knew from the very beginning that I wanted to go to a French-speaking country. I have studied French since I was little and I have always admired the French culture and heritage. Therefore, when I had to choose between the various study abroad programs, the one in Strasbourg immediately appealed to me and I chose it for several reasons. First, ULP is one of the best Western European institutions for research in the area of life sciences. Also, it has an excellent academic curriculum for undergraduate students with majors like mine- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. In addition, the program required a direct enrollment and all of the courses were taught in French, which was an excellent opportunity for me to become fluent in the French language. Finally, Strasbourg has the advantage of being located right in the heart of Central Europe , which gave me the chance to explore during my free time not only France but its neighboring countries as well.

ULP's Central Campus. The University of Louis Pasteur has about 17 000 students spread out onto 4 major campuses in Strasbourg . Depending on your major you might be taking classes in either one of them. In my case, this was the Central Campus which shares buildings with two other Universities- The University of Marc Bloch and The University of Robert Schuman. The campus is quite big with about 50 buildings, which reminded me of the huge campus of University Park . Another resemblance was the abundance of bikes that the majority of the ULP students use for transportation on and off campus. So if you are used to riding your bike at Penn State and can't imagine your life without it, no worries, you'll keep your exact same lifestyle on the Old Continent too.

In terms of libraries and computer facilities, there are several very large libraries with a wireless Internet coverage. Just as in Penn State , I found them to be an excellent place for studying during final exams. One difference from the States however, is the fewer computer labs available. The campus has just a few of those, and the computers in them are quite outdated.

Classes. The educational system of France is very different from the one in the United States . The French students complete their Bachelor's Degree, called "Licence", in the first three years of their studies. This is followed by another two years to complete a Master's Degree, called "Master". In most classes the French students do not have any midterms throughout the semester, but rather just a few homeworks or assignments. Your final grade is determined by only one cumulative written exam in the end of each semester, so to pass well these finals you are mostly counting on your own motivation and discipline not to leave everything for the last minute.

During my studies at ULP I took Physical Chemistry, Metabolism, Cell Biology, Virology, Molecular Genetics and French Press. All of those classes turned out to be very useful and interesting. For instance, the course of French Press that I took during my first semester in Strasbourg helped me improve substantially my French in addition to my daily interactions with the French people. The course was offered by a Languages Center in the Department of Economics (PEGE- Pôle Européen de Gestion et d'Economie). As part of the required activities I participated in one-to-one tutorials with French teachers and weekly workshops for written and oral expression that I found to be very useful for the progress of my French.

Teaching. I mentioned earlier that there are not that many computer labs on the Central Campus of ULP. One reason for that is the fact that typically the professors do not require typed homeworks or papers. For the most part they do not teach using PowerPoint presentations but rather just talk or put on transparency sheets. Therefore, they do not provide lecture notes for print out, and since there are very few required textbooks, the French students take extensive notes during class to get prepared for the final exams. Nevertheless, the professors are very cooperative when they find out that you are not a native speaker, and most of them gladly provide you with some type of lecture notes when you ask them to.

Strasbourg . Strasbourg is an amazingly beautiful city situated in the picturesque region of Alsace , one of the most charming parts of France . The city centre is a UNESCO world heritage site established between the arms of the river Ill. You cannot help but admire this part of Strasbourg with its small crafts shops, romantic curving streets, old bridges, numerous historical museums, cafes and cheese shops. One of the city's trademarks is the highest, until the 19 th century, cathedral in Europe - the Strasbourg 's Cathedral of Notre Dame which is a masterpiece of Gothic art. In addition, in Strasbourg you can find the headquarters of three of the biggest international organizations- the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, and the Human Rights Building . This is why Strasbourg is known by many as the capital of Europe , and the city without a doubt is worthy of its nickname.

Residence Halls. In Strasbourg I lived in Gallia - one of the five residence halls that ULP offers for student housing. Later I found out that my hall was the best one among the other four because of the excellent location and living conditions. Gallia turned out to be right next to the historical center of Strasbourg (about 10 minutes walking distance from most of the sightseeing places), and just 5 minutes away from the Central Campus where I had all of my classes and academic activities. In addition, the building itself was an architectural masterpiece with an exquisitely beautiful red façade with columns and balconies.

A curious fact that I later heard about was that Gallia has been built by the Germans during the 19 th century, and on its first floor it houses one of the oldest restaurants in France , still being used as a dining hall for the students of Strasbourg . This place has an amazing ceiling with wood decorations that make you feel as if you are in a museum whilst having your mundane meals. So as a resident of Gallia, I definitely felt fortunate to have the convenience of living so close to the campus, all the sightseeing places, and at the same time have such an extraordinary dining hall just a few floors down my room.

People. In Strasbourg I got to meet people from all over the world- Germany , Italy , Spain , Greece , Japan , Canada , Guatemala , Algeria and many others. When I got there I didn't know a single person, but when I left I had made dozens of new friendships. And everything started from the very first day of the orientation week, so don't be afraid that you will feel lonely at ULP. On the contrary, you will be constantly surrounded not only by the French natives but also by many international students in your exact same situation. With a small group of my new friends we traveled a lot during the weekends and holidays to explore the beautiful Alsatian region. Also, since Strasbourg is just a few hours away from its neighboring Germany , Switzerland , and Luxemburg, we got to see other places like Freiburg , Basel , and Luxemburg as well. These were incredible adventures that I will never forget.

Because of this, and because of everything else said above, I would highly recommend to all of you considering study abroad, to go and to choose ULP in Strasbourg , France . When I reflect on my own experience I realize that the choice I made during my junior year turned out to be one of the best decisions in my personal and academic life. The chances are that it might be the same for you too!