For my STEP Project I studied abroad at the Université de Montréal for a semester. I was a full time student in industrial design, taking classes that cover topics like product design, user research, and user experience design. I also participated in an undergraduate research project with one of my professors investigating how classroom structures impact student learning.

Prior to this experience I though that by studying and researching possible things I could encounter I could make the experience easier. As it turn out, no amount of research or preparation could accurately prepare me for the realities of living abroad in Quebec. I spent 6 years studying the french language, watching videos on different dialects, learning regional vocabulary, practicing my speech, and yet I still felt lost trying to navigate complex conversations. Nothing except real-life experience could prepare me for it. I also discovered the cultural difference between francophones and anglophones. While I had been aware of stereotypes beforehand, I now feel that I better understand what experiences may have caused individuals to develop these stereotypes about different nationalities. While it was difficult to deal with in the moment, I think the experience has opened my eyes to some different lifestyles and values.

One specific memory I have from my time there that helped me realize this was during my first week of school. I got to class a few minutes early and started trying to make small talk to students quietly sitting nearby me. I politely introduced myself in French and asked their names, just like I would here at OSU. To my surprise, they did not greet me with a friendly smile or ask for my name back. Instead, they looked away or turned around to talk to some other classmate. I thought maybe this was a one-time incident, but I noticed a similar pattern continuing over the next few weeks. I would introduce myself to students and try to strike up a conversation but the only effort I felt was on my end. Most of the students had no interest in trying to make new friends. While I knew the stereotype that French people are unfriendly, I didn’t want to believe it or generalize everyone, but I see now that it is rooted in real behaviors.

It was difficult, trying to overcome this barrier while still struggling to adapt to the language. Quebecois French sounds very different than Parisian/Metropolitan French. They have a different accent, different slang, and often combine multiple languages into one sentence—Most people there knew at least two languages whether that be French and English, Italian, Spanish, Arabic, or something else. Learning some of the slang beforehand helped but even then it wasn’t easy to hold conversations, I had to rely on others patience and understanding. From this I gained a new understanding of a small part of how non-native English speakers feel in the United States and I hope to be more patient and friendly with them in the future so that I may extend them courtesy and reduce some of the burden of that language barrier.

In Montreal, I also learned that the French university system is much different than the American system—at least in the field of design. School are much less strict on guidelines for professors to follow in how they run their classes. Here in the US, higher-level education involves becoming a critical thinker by asking questions and it is a professors job to prompt these questions by providing readings or lectures. Professors are encouraged to allow students to explore new ideas and we are giving the creative freedoms to do so through research, interviews, experimentation, etc. Oppositely, the French system encourages student to churn out content that looks nice without regards to how well researched the design is. They were far more worried about render quality and flashy prototypes than designs based on thoughtful planning.

I realize now that even though i study the same subject as these students in Montreal, the skills and knowledge I gain from my degree are quite different than theirs. I am much more practiced in group collaboration and creative exploration while they are more practiced in refinement. I think this experience has helped me realize some of my strengths and weaknesses, and I know what skills I need to improve in the future. I also know now that no amount of preparation or research can substitute the actual experience of doing something as intense as going abroad. I feel very lucky that I was able to go and I believe these experiences, even though they were hard, will positively impact my future endeavors.