ADVENTURES AT FRANKLIN

Wondering what it takes to get into Franklin? Wanting to find a school that is the right fit for you? Curious about student life? I've gotten a lot of admissions related questions this week, so I decided that a "prospective student frequently asked questions" post was in order! ^^ This is a picture I snapped today on my walk home from class, not particularly related to this post but if you were wondering what autumn looks like in Lugano, there is your answer! Academics At Franklin The travel opportunities are great, but they are FAR from everything Franklin Switzerland has to offer. Getting a university education abroad is much different than just living abroad for a year. Not only do students spend the academic year immersed in and exploring European culture, but Franklin also provides many educational opportunities which challenge students of all levels. I know I have grown academically over the last two years and learned much! What majors are offered at Fr...

I can't tell you what a relief it was to make it through this week! Midterm exams + papers + work = one rough week! But none of that matters now, because it is the best time of year here at Franklin! Academic Travel time!!! For this semester's academic travel I am enrolled in a course  which focuses on the recent history of the former Yugoslavia. Our travel group will be immersed in learning about the dramatic events of the 20 th   century that led to the formation of the Yugoslav state, to its tribulations during World War II, its relative stability during the period of the Cold War and its violent collapse in the 1990's.  The Civil War in Yugoslavia and its effects will be a main theme in meetings and discussions about the successor states and their problems today.  Economic problems, political problems and questions of law and order (such as the prosecution of those accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Civil War). Beyond visiting the class...

Anyone who has read more than one blog post should know by now that I can't say enough about the educational value inherent in traveling. I love travel! And I truly believe that the cross-cultural exchange, communication skills, plus the flexibility & adaptability it promotes is invaluable in today's world. But that being said, I also have a deep appreciation for the more "traditional" classroom style of education. My maternal grandmother and grandfather were both long time educators. She worked as a kindergarten teacher and he as a elementary/middle school principle for 30+ years. So the value of education was instilled in me at a young age and has only grown over the years. One of the major draws for me to attend Franklin was their academic program. I was excited by the thought of learning with professors/peers that hail from all across the world and the International Relations program seemed to be a perfect fit with my interests. Now that I am here, I ...

Reason #28 why I love Franklin: An orientation week that puts any other university's orientation to shame. Seriously! How many incoming college freshmen can say that as part of their orientation they went hiking in the Swiss mountainside, jumped into a glacial river, explored castles and ate copious amounts of delicious fondue/gelato/pizza? It just doesn't get much better than this. And I was lucky enough to attend orientation for the second time in 2 years! No, I didn't flunk my Freshmen year. I applied and was selected to be an Orientation Mentor aka OM . Basically the job of an OM is to help design and facilitate all things orientation! We are assigned small groups of about ten incoming students whom we get to know on a personal level and spend a lot of time with during orientation. Within these orientation groups we lead campus tours, have group discussions on safety, time management, academics, Swiss culture, travel etc. After orientation week we primarily are ...

  I am so excited to introduce you to some of the most caring, intelligent, and awesome people I have met at Franklin: your Fall 2013 orientation mentors! In all seriousness the OM position is highly sought after and lucky incoming freshmen truly are getting the cream of the crop this year. Each and every OM is stoked to help you adjust to life at Franklin College and have the best experience of your life. So without further adieu, here they are ----------> Meet the Orientation Mentors: Fall 2013 from FC Switzerland Blog on Vimeo . F.A.Q's  (1) What exactly does OM stand for?  Good point, let's start with the basics. I know before I came to Franklin I felt like I was the only one who had no idea what an OM, AM or ISM was! So many abbreviations flying around! So here is a quick cheat sheet: OM = Orientation Mentor, we run orientation week and each OM heads an Orientation Group, a small group of aprox. ten students. AM= Academic mentor, every FYS (firs...

So you want to know about housing? You have come to the right place. Across the globe these last few weeks Class of 2017 students have been receiving their housing packets and if you all are anything like me than you are frantically searching for any kind of info on your new possible home! Quick note: If yours has yet to come, never fear. It is on its way. For those who are starting to fill out their packet though, I'm sure you have a lot of questions. So, let me give you the rundown on housing. Tip #1: think about what is important to you. Do you want to live alone? Do you want to live with one person, what about two people? Do you want to have a kitchen? How about proximity to campus? These are all important questions to keep in mind. Let's start with the basics. The three most common placements for freshmen housing are LdV, Panera, and Giardino. Dorm #1: LdV   THE EXTERIOR OF LDV LdV stands for Leonardo da Vinci, but no one actually calls it by its full name....

Last Saturday night I attended one of Franklin Colleges biggest spring semester events: The Travies! Simply stated, Travies is the award ceremony for a photo/video competition which all Franklin students are encouraged to enter. But in reality, travies are a bit like a cross between...  You may laugh, but it is true! For those of you who don't know; The Oscars is an American film awards ceremony held in Hollywood and The Dundies is a workplace awards ceremony in the popular comedy television show The Office. And we at Franklin have taken the best of these two events and combined them into one incredible night! Our Travies ceremony necessitates the classiness of The Oscars coupled with the hilarity of The Dundies. Students showed up in their most elegant attire for a cocktail hour prior to the awards ceremony, but once everyone was seated we spent most of the night laughing and having a good time.  A communal love of travel + beautiful photos + a healthy does of joking =...

Class of 2017, this post is dedicated to you all! Because exactly one year ago, after much deliberation, I sent in my deposit and officially committed to Franklin College. Choosing any college is a major life decision and can be quite scary! But for me, coming to Franklin was one of my best decisions and I hope through sharing my story that I can help you all in making your own "big decision." Let's start at the beginning of my senior year of high school. That fall I visited several colleges on the east coast, but still was unsure. By January 2012, I applied to nine different colleges: one in my home state of Utah, two in Southern California, three in the Washington D.C. area, one in New York City and two international schools. At this point the anxious waiting began. After getting multiple emails from Franklin, I applied on a whim for early admission. By January I had already been accepted, but I still didn't really envision myself attending, it just seemed too cr...

  One of my favorite second semester Franklin traditions is Holi (   होली)  . Originally a Hindu holiday, this festival of colors is widely celebrated throughout India, Nepal and Pakistan. Holi not only welcomes in the Spring season, but is also a celebration of love!   All of the packets of colored powder lined up before the celebration began... and then aftermath! I am pretty sure there is no better way to welcome in the spring season! (note: a huge thank you to  Damian Medina  for taking these three pictures of Holi!) Because I am a freshmen all of my meals are covered under a meal plan. But occasionally I like to go downtown on a Saturday afternoon and get some food for when I am too busy to go to the cafeteria for a meal. I couldn't resist this kilo of strawberries (handpicked in Spain!) that were on sale for 3 francs! And then a loaf of fresh baked ticianese bread for 2 francs and then I splurged on some Swiss dark chocolate for an...

Welcome to Lugano, Switzerland! Franklin College just so happens to be located in one of the most beautiful areas of Switzerland. The Italian-speaking canton of Ticino (in which Lugano is located) is the only area of Switzerland which is south of the Alps. On campus you will find palm trees yet during the winter it will snow a few times. It is a unique region full of beauty. Here are a few snapshots I have taken just in the last month of my adventures around campus and downtown Lugano.  The view from my walk downtown today to get lunch with a few friends. This is Lago Lugano with Mt. Bre on the right and downtown Lugano on the left.   This snapshot is taken from right outside the main doors you use to enter Franklin's Kaletsch campus. Between the two trees there actually is a cobble stone pathway which leads to the two residence halls (Florida + Girasole) which are located down the hill from campus.   The view from my dorm. The most prominent mountain...

Hello! My name is Jessica, I am so happy we could meet! :) I am currently a student at Franklin College in Switzerland and through this blog I am hoping to share with you a little bit about my experiences here! The blog is composed of three categories: "Academic Travel" a super unique and awesome part of Franklin's academic curriculum. Each semester for two weeks the campus shuts down and professors lead small groups of students across Europe on different travels. Under this category you will find me posting about the basis of Academic Travel, my opinions on it, and of course updates during the actual two weeks I am traveling during the semester! "Adventures at Franklin" chronicles my involvement at Franklin as a student and in the community. Here you may find posts about living in the dorms, class sizes, class difficulty, and reports on different events which I attend over the course of the semester. "Independent Travel" is just what it sounds ...