The Value of Study Abroad

by Timothy McGowan ’07

It's quite amazing how quickly time moved when I was in college, and how much faster it now moves since I graduated. I'm learning that we need to pay attention to the world around us, or we just might miss the opportunities that life has to offer.

I almost missed the opportunity that brought me to Paris, France, where I'm now living. It's wonderful here, and definitely the most rewarding experience I've had so far. Being here has been a surprise. I never imagined that I would be living abroad two years after graduating from Gettysburg College.

If you were to ask me what my biggest regret is, I would immediately tell you that I'm sorry I didn't take advantage of Gettysburg College's extensive off-campus study programs. While an undergraduate, I never left Gettysburg to explore the bigger world beyond it. I have no truly reasonable explanation for why I didn't study abroad, other than that I liked Servo and the Bullet Hole way too much to abandon them for a semester. Not a very good excuse.

When I started graduate school at Arcadia University, I decided to make up for my mistake. A requirement for my master's degree in international peace and conflict resolution was that I study abroad. Originally, I planned to France for only five months to learn the language. But something happened when I got here.

I arrived in Paris at the beginning of my second year at Arcadia with few notions of what to expect. I quickly discovered two major problems. The first, and most obvious, was the fact that I could barely speak French. I had briefly studied the language in high school, but switched to German in college. I knew little beyond basic greetings, how to order in restaurants, and some numbers. The second problem was far more serious. I didn't want to leave France.

Much to my surprise, I spent most of my time that semester trying to find a way to stay in Paris past my planned departure on January 30. I did some research, talked with my department at Arcadia, and searched for a way to linger in France. Fortunately, I found a way.

It turns out that Arcadia and The American Graduate School of International Relations and Diplomacy (AGSIRD), where I was studying France, had already been talking about creating a joint master's degree. The joint program would allow students to get two master's degrees in three years, one in international peace and conflict resolution from Acadia and another in international relations and diplomacy from ACSIRD. Students take three semesters of class work at Arcadia and three in Paris. It meant some juggling for me, but I was determined.

So here I am, still in France. I just finished my study abroad semester. Instead of flying home on January 30 as scheduled, I'm taking the steps to convert Paris from a simple study abroad semester into a home. So, one problem is solved, though I still have that problem with the language - a big problem when you realize that all I ate my first week in Paris was chicken because it was the only word on the menu that I understood. But I'm working on it, and it will only be a matter of time before I can speak the language. Already I'm taking more risks with French in my daily life. At times I'm even shocked at how much I actually can say.

I recently wrote to the German department at Gettysburg, updating them about my life after graduation. I thanked them for one wonderful opportunity I had taken advantage of as a German minor. As a student I became a peer teaching assistant (PTA) for the German department and helped with German conversation sessions for beginning and intermediate students.

German, of course, doesn't help me converse with anyone in Paris, but the act of standing up in front of a group of people and speaking a foreign language helped considerably. I find that speaking French to strangers is much like teaching German to fellow students. The only way you ever get any better is to use the language, make mistakes, and gradually improve. I thank the German department for the opportunity they offered me.

On occasion I attend dinners cooked by a French friend of mine, who also invites medical school friends. The first dinner I could only sit and look at them funny as they spoke. By the second dinner I was determined to shock them a bit and speak French, which I did. My grammar was probable all wrong, but it was the step that mattered. Now they speak more slowly for my benefit, and my French is improving steadily.

The most important thing I have discovered while living in Paris is the value of study abroad. Living in another country gives perspective in a global context, which, as a student of international relations, I can tell you is essential. Study abroad also gives you perspective on yourself, teaching what you are capable of and other things you never knew about yourself.

Living and studying in France has been a growing experience that has taught me so much. I'm so thankful the opportunity was there for me, even if I foolishly missed it in my undergraduate studies. And at the rate I'm going, who knows where I'll be in another two years!

Timothy McGowan, who is happily studying in Paris, can be reached at timothy.m.mcgowan@gmail.com.