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With global travel and communication growing easier all the time, it becomes imperative that people take the time to understand other cultures. Many universities around the globe have developed study abroad programs to help students gain the insights they need to develop into well-rounded professionals. This semester the Bagley College of Engineering has hosted four French engineering students from the Institut National des Sciences Apliquées and Grenoble Institute of Technology as part of a semester-long study abroad program.

Etienne Capgras, a computer science major, and industrial engineering students Colin Leti, Romain Moge and Elodie Thelliez arrived in August to take classes and immerse themselves in American culture. Now, as they end their semester of study here, they have found that the study abroad experience opened their eyes not only to new engineering practices, but to new views of America and their own possibilities.

“This trip made me realize that engineering is getting more global and it is important to share points of view between nations,” Capgras explained.

In the exchange below, the students discuss what it was like as an international student at MSU.

Why did you decide to study at Mississippi State?

Thelliez: I really wanted to study abroad to improve my English. When you study in France they tell you that if you want to be an engineer, you have to speak English. So, I knew this would be a very good experience professionally because I am getting to study with different people in a different way and personally because I am getting to experience new things and meet new people.

Moge: I chose to study at MSU because I think there is a good industrial engineering program here and it was a way for me to study in the United States.

Capgras: My school in France is part of the Global Engineering Education Exchange, which gave me the opportunity to study in the United States. There were several schools we could choose from and I looked at every single one, but in the end I was most interested in Mississippi State.

Leti: I wanted to see America. When I got here I didn’t know there was a difference between the culture of the North and the South. I have had a very good experience here learning about American culture. I learned about the same things I would study in France, so I didn’t waste my time and I will still get credit. If there are students who want to experience studying abroad, they have to do it. It has been a good experience and I didn’t see any inconveniences.

How does higher education in America compare to what you are accustomed to in France?

Leti: The delivery of information is different. Here, it is more practical with lots of application exercises. In France, we focus more on theory.

Moge: Here, we have to work a lot with the book before class and in class the teacher explains it. It is quite different in France. We don’t have books like that so when you go to class, you don’t know anything and the teacher teaches you what you need to know.

Capgras: In France, everything is broken down by fields, so my school is mainly engineering. Here, there is a big campus and a lot of different majors are together, so I was able to meet a lot of different people, with different ambitions and ways of thinking. Also, the number of international students here impressed me.

What was the first thing you noticed about America when you arrived?

Leti: When we first got off the plane, I couldn’t believe how hot it was outside at night. I thought if it is this hot outside now, I won’t be spending much time outdoors during the day.

In Starkville, I was surprised by how friendly American’s are. I was here alone, but people would stop and help me. In France you don’t see that, so I wasn’t expecting it here but it was a great surprise.

Capgras: Everything is bigger in America, from the buildings to the cars to the landscape even.

Thelliez: When we arrived and got out of the car, it was so hot even though it was about 9 p.m. I couldn’t believe it, and I was surprised to see that Americans take their cars [everywhere], even if it is not to go very far.

What was the biggest adjustment you had to make when you got here?

Thelliez: It was difficult when I arrived because I wasn’t very good at English and people’s accents down here confused me. It was so difficult because everyone’s pronunciation was different from what I had learned and a lot of the time I would use a good word, but people couldn’t understand me because of my pronunciation. I have improved a lot though, because I didn’t have a choice.

Capgras: I had to adjust to the air conditioning when we arrived. It was really hot outside, but really cold inside and the food is really different too. We found that everything has sugar in it. Even the mustard and meat is sweet.

Also, life is continuous here and that’s the biggest difference between America and France. Here, everyone sets his or her own hours and everything is always working. I couldn’t believe that fast food restaurants are open 24 hours a day.

Leti: The food. The food is so different. Also, the way people interact is different. It was weird because I didn’t think our cultures would be so different. Here, you don’t sit and eat; you just eat as quickly as possible. It is almost like it is a waste of time, but in France everyone sits to eat and talk together.

Moge: There are a lot of little things that make life different here, but that’s what we are here to study. What would be the point of studying abroad if everything was the same?

What new things did you get to experience while here in America?

Capgras: We tried to see things that were different and important to your culture, like football games on campus. The fact that everybody wanted to go to that event, that was something I didn’t expect. I was shocked to see the number of cars and [the RV’s] that people arrived in.

We also tried to travel every chance we got. I found it interesting that in all of the places we went, the one thing that was common between the American people was the flag and the national anthem. I saw that it is the point that brings everyone together.

Leti: Speaking English everyday was an experience for me, and this was the first time I had ever traveled so much, maybe because gas is cheap here. In France, gas was about $7.00 a gallon and you even have to pay to get on the highway. Seeing how much the price of gas rose while we were here, I don’t want to go back to France to see the increase there.

Thelliez: We got to travel a lot while we were here. We saw Florida, which was very beautiful. I was surprised at the sand beach and how warm the water was, I loved it. We also went to Memphis, Chicago, New Orleans and several cities in Texas. I liked the outlet mall between San Antonio and Austin.

I also got to see American football games. All of the activities and ambiance – the pom-pom girls, band, tents, and food – it was overwhelming.

What was your favorite thing about America?

Moge: I like the unity that surrounds the university. Everyone wears their MSU shirts and supports the university. My school in France doesn’t have that same feeling of community. I also like the rhythm of life here. It is quite calm and not as busy as it is in France.

Capgras: I was afraid of being anonymous on a big campus when I got here, but everyone has been very friendly and nice. I haven’t even had time to miss France, because I have been busy. It has been exhausting trying to understand and be understood all of the time.

Thelliez: When we think about America, we don’t imagine Starkville. When we arrived I was disappointed and thought it was too small, but the fact is, being in a small town makes it easier to meet people. I have friends because I see the same people around and I can get to know them more quickly. I have really enjoyed meeting people who come from everywhere.

Leti: I have enjoyed getting to meet people. Being away from your family and friends makes you have to form new friendships. Meeting a new network of people is really intense and I have made some friendships that I hope will last.

Capgras and Moge returned to France at the conclusion of the semester, while Leti will spend the holidays traveling in America and Canada. Thelliez began a project during the semester that will keep her here until May. During her extended stay she hopes to continue to unlock the mysteries of American culture and life in Starkville.

“I miss my family, but this is a great opportunity,” Thelliez explained. “With the other French students leaving, I will have to work on my English even more and I will have the opportunity to make more friends. One of the things I regret right now is that most of my friends are international. They are great and easy to connect with, but I am hoping to find more American friends to really see what the culture is like.”
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