Julia Chamoun, Social Work Programme, Florida State University, USA

Hi,

My name is Julia and I chose to do my fourth semester in the social work program in the US. To study and live in another country has always been my dream, and when I found out Jönköping University had an exchange program, I got excited.

To experience the college life that the US has, has also been a big dream of mine, so I applied for the school in Tallahassee, Florida, called Florida State University. That may be one of the biggest choices I have ever made in my life, and also, one of the very best choices I've made.

I arrived in Tallahassee on January 2nd, 2018, because I wanted to arrive a couple of days before my classes started, which was on January 9th. Before we began our classes, all international students had a meeting where we got information about the school, was toured through the college, and we also got the chance to know each other. Later on, I got invited to the College of Social Work where I got to know a couple of teachers and students who showed me around. I really liked how the school made me feel comfortable even though I hadn't even started my classes yet.

I took four classes during my semester in Florida State University (FSU); (1) social work practice with individuals and families, (2)social work practice with communities and organizations, (3) family violence across the lifespan and (4), women's issues. I really enjoyed reading course number 3 and 4, these were my favorites because I got the chance to choose them by myself. But I was less interested in course number 1 and 2. But I learned a lot throughout the semester and the content was good, even though it didn't fall into my interest.

During my staying in Tallahassee, I lived at a student apartment complex called Catalyst. I enjoyed living there, it was nice and close to campus. I lived in a 4/4 apartment and had three roommates, my roommates were from the US, and as far as I know, no other international students were living there. Most international students lived at University Village, but it was too far away from school and it wasn't as good as Catalyst. Therefore I chose not to live there. It was much more expensive to live at Catalyst but you really get what you pay for. I had a bedroom, walk-in closet and a big bathroom for myself, but shared the kitchen and living room. I found the lease in a facebook group called FSU subleases, it's a group where people sell their lease to other students who are in need of a place to live.

Prices in the US are similar to Swedish ones, some things may be a little bit cheaper, but overall it's the same.

Catalyst

The college life in the US was amazing. I loved everything about it, especially that the colleges there are into sports. They really put their heart and soul into it. I enjoyed going to the basketball games, the baseball games and especially, the American football games! I am thankful for getting the chance to experience everything I did. I also recommend every student that goes on an exchange semester to explore as much as you can, travel when you got the time for it, you will not regret it!

During my staying in the US, I travelled to New Orleans to experience the famous carnival Mardi Gras. I travelled to Chicago, Bahamas, Panama City Beach, Miami, Texas, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Los Angeles; Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Venice, Malibu & Downtown LA, and twice to Orlando (because of Disneyworld and Universal Studios). I really enjoyed seeing the different cities and travelling to different states. I wish I could travel more but there was either not enough time for that or no one that I could travel with. When I travelled, I always went with other international students who also wanted to explore and travel, or I went with my classmates.

I really grew a lot as a person there, I have become more confident and self-secure, and I am much more responsible as a person now. And, my English language has surely developed a lot!

If you have any questions you could always contact me through email; ju.chs@hotmail.com

FSU’s football stadium