What I Learned From Studying Abroad… That Actually Had To Do With School

Most people who return from studying abroad say they’ve found themselves in their travels, they’ve discovered a new side to life, met the most incredible people and just can’t believe it’s over. While all that is true, there’s something to be said for getting placed into a near alternate universe of a school system.

For my first two years of university, I had come to the assumption that school just wasn’t for me. That I was smart, but not the smartest, and not nearly smart enough to go to the grad schools I had always longed for. I came to the conclusion that good grades were just slightly out of my reach; no matter how hard I tried to achieve them, there was just something about the school system that did not click with my abilities. I was a good student, don’t get me wrong. I spent hours in the library, I went to office hours and extra tutoring sessions, I spent time with professors improving my papers, and even kicked my high school procrastination habit, but it simply was not turning out the top marks I coveted and worked tirelessly for. At the end of second year, I had come to accept this fact, that I would not graduate with honours, that I should go straight into the workforce and never look back, and most of all I would try to get a job where they wouldn’t ask to see my transcripts. I was totally fine with this, and I still am. But after completing third year in a new environment, my perspectives about school broadened, as did my mindset about my capabilities and future opportunities.

It all changed when I stepped into my first class at my exchange university in Paris. I attended an elite university, which only offered classes in my discipline. While the professors there were often hard markers, they approached classes, assignments, and grading with a different approach than to what I’ve seen here at home. Classes were almost all less than twenty student seminars, and those seminars were all based heavily on oral presentations and participation. As an extrovert and someone who learns much better when vocally engaged, I noticed a huge shift in my approach to school. I no longer dreaded exams because this time, I was able to deliver them in a method that met my needs and my abilities far more than being locked in an overcrowded, stuffy gym for three hours while trying to wrack my brain of all the information I’d just learned over the semester. My presentations engaged students and professors alike and I learned how my skills could truly be harnessed at school, and how I could actually express what I had been learning. For all my time prior to my exchange year, I’d poured sweat and tears into exams and papers only to receive disappointing grades for the amount of effort I’d contributed.

While I understand not everyone, in fact most people, do not enjoy giving oral presentations or even participating in class discussions, my year abroad was a refreshing change and wake-up call for how I could perform in an academic setting. I did not need to settle for the mediocre grades I was used to getting at home when I knew I could do so much better, and I did not need to fear transcripts coming out because I can tell when my presentations were strong or weak. What I am trying to express is not the benefit of the French system or the perils of the Canadian one; it is not the pros and cons of oral presentations and other evaluation methods; and it certainly is not me trying to convince you that I am the smartest of them all.

What I am trying to convey is the idea that schools need to offer different evaluation methods for all students. Many of my peers excel in written exams, or long end of term essays. But for me, it is being able to stand in front of my peers, many a time those who do not like oral presentations, and deliver a spot-on presentation on which I have devoted hours of research and thought into. Standing in front of my class exhilarates me in a good way. I know that I am prepared and what my professor is looking for. For me, being able to motion to a map on a PowerPoint and explain its significance will tell you a lot more about what I know than using the basic five-paragraph essay format to tell you about a political theory. Students are all different in not only how we learn, but also how we can be tested. When there is just one way of testing, or even worse, when a school opts for standardized testing, only a certain pool of people is deemed successful or smart. When we let students excel in their desired way, we are elevating everyone to an equal playing field based on their preferred comfort zone.

I know that when I return to complete my degree in the fall I won’t be seeing an increase in oral presentations, and I will be back to writing exams for each class, but having the opportunity to realize this about myself and the education system while on exchange was invaluable. I learned more than I could ever imagine while on this phenomenal experience, but what I really took from it is something I think schools overlook. No one ever advertises an exchange year as a way to experience a new school system or education method, but that is what I am truly thankful for now that I have returned and am evaluating my year away. It gave me perspective on myself and others, encouraged me to pursue what I love, and convinced me that I am capable of thriving in an academic environment.