“Imagine walking with your backpack toward your classroom… the sun’s heat soothes you while you go to the beach next to the campus. Even if you have a lot of work at university, studying in such conditions can only rhyme with wellbeing.”
Jonathan Déglise has been studying English in the USA since the spring. While most language learners are drawn to the big cities, Jonathan wanted something else from his time in the States, something more authentic. “I always wondered what life was like on an American campus” he says. And how is it? “To describe it in one word: ‘perfect!’”
What makes a campus different?
Unlike most universities in Europe, where the faculty and accommodation buildings are spread around certain parts of the city, American colleges are usually campus-based, with dorms, teaching blocks and sports facilities all in one place. Where Jonathan is studying, the Eckerd College campus in St Petersburg, Florida, spreads over200 hectares.
Living and studying on a campus is quite different to living and studying in a city. For one thing, everything that you need is in one place. Among the most attractive things for our students are exceptional sporting facilities.
American colleges place a great emphasis on athletic achievement, and many generate huge incomes from their sports teams. Millions of people regularly watch college sports on TV or in the campus stadiums. As a result, students have access to superb sporting resources. On a typical day, Jonathan might head for a workout at the campus gym after class and then dive into the pool for a game of water polo with friends.
But beyond the athletic benefits, campus life exposes you to all kinds of new people and ideas. Our programme in St Petersburg includes classes at Eckerd College, so Jonathan has taken the opportunity to attend a course in international relations and says “having students from around the world is a real plus when international relations are to be studied… the different viewpoints greatly enrich the various discussions and debates.”
A world on your doorstep
Studying abroad always introduces you to people from a wide range of cultures, but studying on campus adds a certain intensity to the experience and it is easy to forge strong friendships when you spend a lot of time with people. Jonathan describes it as “living in 5 cities at once”.
“So here I am sitting in the classroom with my friends who come from everywhere. I always found it fascinating to meet people from around the world and be able to feel close to people from so far away!”
Wherever you study with ESL, our schools will offer a superb range of activities to help you explore the local area – this is one of the core criteria that we demand when choosing partner schools. But students in larger cities are also much more likely to head off on their own and explore the city. That’s part of living in a metropolis, after all.
Studying on a campus, you will probably find yourself spending more time with your classmates, and therefore forming stronger relationships (and getting to use your language skills more). Eckerd, for example, organises an annual Festival of Cultures where students share a piece of their culture, whether through a traditional dish, dance or music.
The real USA
Beyond studying with people from around the world, studying away from the major cities gives you something more authentic, a feel for the “real USA”. Americans pride themselves on offering a warm welcome to visitors and this is amplified if you stay away from the usual tourist centres.
Our campus programmes in places like St Petersburg, Nashville and New Jersey may not have the instant name recognition of Los Angeles or New York, but you will still have access to major cities without the downsides of city life. After all, campuses are designed especially for students, from accommodation to restaurants and sporting facilities.
So if you want to enjoy an authentic American experience while making fast progress with your English, perhaps a campus experience is just what you are looking for.
To find out more about our campus programmes in the USA, give us a call or visit your local office and we would love to tell you all about them.
What do you think?