A #DayAtFUS

Last week, I had the opportunity to share a bit of a typical day at Franklin on our official Instagram page. While the day-to-day routine can vary, there are definitely common threads that happen every day at Franklin that I wanted to highlight. So, let's get started! First thing in the morning, I get coffee in the Grotto, one of our school's eateries, and admire the view from the patio there. It's a very central location on campus and you always run into a friend or two on a visit there.

This semester, my class schedule is evening-heavy, which is typical for upperclassmen who are studying business and management. So, I try and get downtown in the morning to grocery shop and go for a walk. I love how accessible downtown is from campus (it's about a 15 minute walk) and a lovely walk at that! I was lucky enough to catch a rainbow in the fountain downtown, and just had to share. Some people opt to grocery shop in downtown Lugano, while other students choose to take the commuter train to Ponte Tresa, a little town in Italy (20 minute train ride away). It's an adorable town and buying groceries in Italy instead of Switzerland tends to be more economical.

After I went downtown, I came back to campus to have lunch with friends. The women pictured here are from Dubai and Saudi Arabia. I love having friends from around the world, Franklin provides a wonderful glimpse into so many fascinating and unique cultures.

After lunch, I got to work! November is extremely academically time of the semester at Franklin as we begin to prepare for finals in a few weeks. If I'm not writing a paper in November in my spare time, I am studying for a quiz or working on a group project. Because my courses are some of the final classes I will be taking at Franklin, they are very in-depth and work intensive. That said, I am feeling more prepared than ever to enter the workforce with the skills I am learning in my courses, especially in my International Finance, Organizational Behavior and Leadership, and Investment Analysis classes.

I had class in the early evening, and stayed late to discuss a paper I was working on with Professor Rocourt. He is my Academic Advisor and has been unbelievably helpful in my transition this year from being a student... to being a student actively seeking a full-time job. He is incredibly knowledgeable and patient, and has lent me so many tokens of life advice and on my career which I know I will remember for many years to come.

After speaking with Professor Rocourt, I headed home to my residence to unwind and drink tea with my roommate. Life at Franklin is beautiful, hectic, and dynamic. No day is the same, and it's such a gift to be able to explore Lugano and surrounding countries... on the weekends of course!

A criticism I hear often from friends in Boston is this false impression: because I attend a University in Europe, I must be having fun all the time, with academics being a secondary priority. Many of my friends in the U.S. studied abroad in Europe and noticed how their workload was significantly lighter while overseas. However, it is different at Franklin! Of course, we have incredible opportunities to explore our surrounding countries on the weekends and during school breaks. But, in my opinion, we study and work just as hard as our fellow academics at universities in the United States, or other countries. 

The difference in attending Franklin is that life requires, or demands, more of a balance. For those who want to see the world as much as possible, this is an excellent university for you! That said, you must be prepared to study just as hard as you travel! For me and many other fellow students, this is inspiring. I am fully aware that if I work hard during the week and do well in school, I can keep "seizing the day" by traveling whenever possible. 

Living in Switzerland is an incredible opportunity, but living abroad is not glamorous all of the time. Everyone at Franklin still experiences the same frustrations in life - stressing over exams, feeling homesickness, questioning our future career paths, etc. as anyone else. That said, we are fortunate to live in a community and attend a university that constant encourages interactions with different cultures. We at Franklin are in constant pursuit of a better understanding of the world, and what each of us can do to better it in our own small way.

I hope you enjoyed a glimpse into everyday life at Franklin, and feel free to ask any questions about life here in the comments section! I will try to be as helpful and honest about the Franklin experience as possible. 

I wanted to highlight some of our students own #DayAtFUS, so enjoy their perspectives on life here at Franklin University Switzerland. A huge congrats to Franklin student Craig Carey for winning Instagram photo contest! FUS loved your perspective of Lake Lugano.