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Taking education international

Concordia International offers some exchange advice for student blogger David Adelman
January 19, 2012
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By Student blogger David Adelman


This past summer, while walking along de Maisonneuve Boulevard West between Guy and Mackay streets (that stretch where you nod “hello” to every other person because you recognize them from class), I bumped into a familiar face from high school.

I learned that my friend Rivky was soon leaving to Israel as part of Concordia International’s Academic Exchange Program to Bezalel University of Arts and Design in Jerusalem. This chance encounter would catapult me on a rollercoaster ride of anxiety and excitement over the decision to follow my friend’s lead and take my studies abroad.

The Lac des Dix in Valais, Switzerland.
The Lac des Dix in Valais, Switzerland | Photo courtesy of Braun W.

The process to study abroad is not for the faint-of-heart. First, I kept daydreaming of sailing on a canal in Venice or meeting my soulmate while hiking through the Swiss Alps. But then reality set in and I realized there are documents that need to be completed, research that needs doing and questions to ask of Concordia International.

The first step to studying abroad is attending a Concordia International information session. I found myself in a conference room surrounded by many students interested in studying abroad. International Liaison Officer of Africa, Europe and the Middle East, Dorota Potapowicz explained the procedure. The deadlines for placement are February 1 and June 15 but she recommended applying for February.

Repovesi National Park in midnight sun in Kouvola, Finland
Repovesi National Park in midnight sun in Kouvola, Finland | Photo courtesy of M. Passinen

For the last part of 2011, I had my heart set on Finland. I had this surreal fantasy of the Northern Lights overhead, glowing in its mystical green, blue, magenta colouring. I’d pick up some Finnish along the way (even though it’s known to be one of the hardest languages around). Maybe it was the fact that winter struck late this year, because when the first frost hit, I quickly changed my mind. 

It’s hard to figure out where to go and it’s a big decision. If I don’t like the country, I am committed for six months. I started asking other students, professors … then neighbors, family, friends, acquaintances. I probably went a big overboard because I heard so many perspectives and experiences that I started mixing up people’s stories with different countries. A wine and cheese in France became a Swiss cheese and German frankfurter.

The first day back at Concordia, I went to see Potapowicz again for advice (well, what I really wanted her to make a decision for me) and although she was really informative, it was my decision to make. I started eliminating countries based on how the university’s websites looked. The University of Nottingham became an option because of my interest in the story of Robin Hood.

I was almost tempted to play a game of darts at a world map and let fate choose for me. Then it hit me. Midnight In Paris was one of my favourite movies of last summer. Curious to find what universities were available in Paris for international study, I came across Sciences Po, a university known for its social science program. Looking at pictures of the campus, which is along the Seine River, I fell in love and found my first choice.

Am I making the right decision? Where would you study?



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