This is it. My immersion in the United States as an Amity Scholar at Baker comes to an end. I can now draw some conclusions about my experience this year.
When I got in the United States in August, the first reactions I had were how humid it was and that there were “food exit” signs on the highways. I asked myself: “Is this country really obsessed with food like I was told it was?” Then I arrived on Baker’s campus. I was amazed by its beauty and its cleanliness. Erin Joyce, my mentor teacher, took me on a tour of downtown Baldwin City. In a minute, I saw the post office, Espress Yourself, the City Hall and Wheat State Pizza. “Where is the rest?” I thought. I knew Baldwin was small, but not to that extent.
So I discovered life on campus. I was amazed to see all the activities offered during welcome week. In France, all we do at university is take classes. There is nothing similar to what we find here. So I decided to make the most of what was offered on campus and began a lot of new activities. I also took some great classes. I began learning the piano and took a photography class, in which I developed and printed my own pictures. I would have never done that in France.
Americans made a good impression on me. People have been really friendly and welcoming. Through frequent invitations, I got to see how some local families live.
I have an observation, though. When you say you will invite a foreign student over to your house, do it. Foreign students take invitations like this very seriously and could be offended if they are promised an invitation and don’t get one.
I really enjoyed working at Baker. My job as a teaching assistant gave me a good idea of what being a university professor is about.
In spite of all those good experiences, I have a few regrets regarding my experience at Baker. Soon after my arrival, I realized that my life would be quite complicated without a car. One doesn’t find everything in Baldwin. Fortunately, I made some great friends who were willing to drive me around when I needed something.
But don’t get me wrong, I had a lot of fun here, and I met some great people. Kansas might not be the most exciting place in the world, but it was still an amazing experience. Would I stay one more year? Yes. But I need to go on with my master’s degree and my doctorate to become a university teacher. And who knows? Maybe I will work at Baker one day …