Franklin First Impressions

Welcome to this week's post on Adventures at Franklin! Today, we're going to be hearing from some new students about their first impressions of life at Franklin University Switzerland. The students below are a diverse group, including four-year, study abroad and transfer students. 

Before we get started, I also wanted to mention that it is now possible to subscribe to Adventures at Franklin by email. Simply click "Subscribe by email" above and follow the instructions in the link to be notified whenever new content is posted. 

With that, let's begin! 

Aerial view from Kaletsch Campus.

. . .

Name: Will Wallace
From: California, USA
Plans to study: Environmental Science with an Italian Studies Minor
Four-Year Student

What made you decide to come to Franklin?

I liked the international location primarily, but it also had what I wanted to study which is environmental science. I also like the Academic Travel options.

Is there anything that really surprised you when you arrived?

I thought that campus was a lot more spread out, like when you’re looking at it on a map, but it’s really not as spread out as it looked, and that was something that was kind of a relief!

What’s your favorite class?

I’m kind of torn between the two science classes I have, I like Professor Hale’s FYS about the environment, but I also like Professor Della Croce’s Bio 310, a writing-intensive ecology class. I’m kind of leaning toward the FYS though, because we got to go to the Rhone Glacier and that was something really cool that I don’t think I would have done otherwise.

What academic travel course are you taking this semester?

I’m on Professor Mottale’s Academic Travel to Puglia; Italy: Politics, Culture, and Society. 

. . .

Name: Cat Payne
From: Washington D.C., USA
Plans to study: Environmental Science with a Management Minor
Four-Year Student

What made you decide to come to Franklin?

When I was a junior in high school, I did an exchange program in Germany, and after that I knew I wanted to go back to Europe for college. I was of course looking at German universities, and then I got a postcard in the mail from Franklin and I checked out the website and it just looked perfect.

What do you think of our campus?

The campus is gorgeous, we’re basically in the prettiest part of Europe. 

What’s your favorite class?

My FYS (First Year Seminar) which is called Glaciers No More and is taught by Professor Hale. 

What Academic Travel course are you taking this semester?

I’m taking Italian Tales of Courtship, Beauty, Power with Professor Orsi. I’m excited to experience more of Italy. 

What are you most excited about in regards to being here?

I’m excited for Academic Travel, just because I have no idea what it’s going to be like. I’m also excited for some of the events my RA is planning for my dorm. At some point we’re going to go ice skating all together, and we might also have a bake-off. 

. . .

Name: Maurya Bahl
From: Jaipur, India
Studying: International Marketing
Sophomore Transfer Student

What made you decide to come to Franklin?

I’d been in Portland for two years, and I honestly just needed a change. Switzerland seemed to be like the perfect place for it, because it’s one of the best places on earth.

What’s your favorite class?

My finance class with Professor Rocourt. 

What academic travel course are you taking this semester?

Berlin (Inventing the Past: The Uses of Memory) with Professor Wiedmer. It’s a pretty interesting class, it’s about the Holocaust and the fall of the Berlin Wall. 

What are you most excited about this semester?

Academic Travel, for sure. 

Is there any advice you would give to someone who is considering coming to Franklin University Switzerland?

Make sure you know this place before you decide to come here, and actually know what living here’s going to be like. Because it’s very different from living in the U.S. or any other part of the world. 

. . .

Name: Amanda Dumont
Originally From: Washington, USA
Studying: Finance
Junior Study Abroad from Southern Methodist University (SMU)

What made you decide to come to Franklin?

My boyfriend actually came to Franklin as part of a study abroad program two years ago, so I’d heard so much from him and some of my other SMU friends who did and talked about it constantly. I knew I wanted to go abroad because I’ve never really met anyone who has studied abroad and been like, "Wow I really wish I didn’t do that;" it’s always been the opposite. I figured I’d regret it if I didn’t study abroad at least once, and then I thought this would be a good program because everyone else really recommended it.

Is there anything that really surprised you when you arrived?

I was kind of surprised how little culture shock I felt. I know it’s an American university, so that probably helped, but even going downtown and everyone was speaking Italian, I still didn’t really feel that it was that different. That was pretty surprising.

What’s your favorite class?

I like Strategic Management Theory. I like it because it’s really small and very discussion-based.

What Academic Travel are you taking this semester?

Botswana: Environmental Field Observations with Professor Zanecchia. I’m excited. 

Is there any advice you would give to someone who is considering coming to Franklin University Switzerland?

If someone is considering not studying abroad because they’re nervous, they should just do it. They will regret it if they don’t, and in the end they’ll be happy that they did it.

. . .

Name: Maddie McWilliams
From: Illinois, USA
Plans to study: French and Comparative Literary and Cultural Studies
Four-Year Student

What made you decide to come to Franklin?

I studied abroad my junior year in high school. I also visited campus and I loved it. It's a small school and it fit everything I wanted.

What do you think of our campus?

I like it. It’s small, it’s quaint, and it fits the student body because we’re also small and quaint.

What’s your favorite class?

I really like my FYS (First Year Seminar). It’s Sci-Fi and Fiction with Professor Ferrari. 

What Academic Travel course are you taking this semester?

I’m in European Food Systems with Professor Steinert Borella, and I absolutely adore it. It’s tied with my FYS for favorite class; I love it.

Is there any advice you would give to someone who is considering coming to Franklin University Switzerland?

Don’t dwell on home too much. I didn’t, and I haven’t been homesick at all. So just try and stay here as much as possible with your mindset. Just try and live here, and think about home when you’re going home.

. . .

That's all for this post! I hope you liked reading about the perspectives of some new students on campus. It's been great welcoming them into the Franklin community. 

Is there anything you would like to ask new students in particular? Please let me know in the comments!

Arrivederci and till next time,

Gabrielle