Interview of the Month

Student Studying for 6 Weeks in Québec, Canada

Why did you decide to study abroad? And why did you choose to do it there?
I always wanted to study French, is such a cute language! At first I wanted to go to France just like everybody else, but then I thought: why not trying something different? That was when I met some really nice French Canadians who suggested Québec since I’m not a huge fan of big cities.

What did you know about Canada before coming?
Well, I have to say that even though they’re near, I didn’t know that much really! (laughing) I’ve always liked the Canadian flag and had the vague image of lots of snow, northern lights and polar bears… that was pretty much it! Anyway, those French Canadian I met told me a thing or two and I was convinced the minute they mentioned maple syrup…

What were your thoughts before coming? Were you concerned of anything?
Of course I was! I was terrified about the weather… the sole mention of -40 degrees Celsius gave me the chills! And also, even though Canada is really close and I guessed they weren’t so different, I was still concerned about social life, especially about friends. I didn’t speak any French before going so it was a huge challenge. Of course everything was way easier than I had imagined: weather was not so terrible, people were actually very friendly and I immediately had a nice group of friends to hang out with!

What was the first thing that called your attention?  
Mmmh, that’s a tough one. Everything was so very different! Maybe the most impressive thing was the fact that the city is like right in between rivers. I wasn’t really used to living so near water, so it was a weird scene. Also, I didn’t expect to find a small Europe in the middle of North America so I was shocked to see that the oldest part of Québec is very similar to some of the European cities I know… it gave it an extra charm.

How did you overcome the cultural shock? What was the most difficult thing for you to get used to?
The really accurate bus timing! (laughing) No, not really… that was really impressive but really easy to get used to! The cultural shock was not huge, honestly… though everything was really different, I felt at home right away.

Have you gone out? What do you think about the night entertainment here?
Well of course! The night scene is a bit quieter than back home, there are more pubs than discos, but it’s still a lot of fun.

Would you recommend this trip?
Bien sur! I had a great time and got to learn a new language without having to go halfway around the world. It was a great experience discovering that a whole new and welcoming culture was practically under my nose.

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