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1. Take your homework to a cafe, pretend to do it, but just sit back and watch life pass by. 2. Realize that, even at "American-style" institutions, grading systems and professors' expectations may be different from what you're used to. Adjust either your effort level or your expectations. (Do I get an "A"? on that research paper or take that trip to Venice?) 3. Sample the local delicacies, even if you can't pronounce them. Consider it an elective culinary course. 4. Flash your student ID. Discounts are everywhere for students. 5. Make an effort to pick up the local language; the words you use most often are crucial, such as frites (French fries), patisserie (cake shop), and boulangerie (bakery) were for me. 6. Carry a camera with you at all times and take pictures of the everyday things: your landlady, your apartment's street sign, the waiter at your favorite cafe as well as your favorite prof. 7. Keep a journal but don't treat it like homework. Pages of notes are your literary snapshots. 8. Make an effort to befriend other students (and not just Americans). Speak up in class, chat in the hall, work in groups. 9. Even if you know nothing about art or history, venture into museums. Try to go with someone who not only knows something but won't get too technical or boring. 10. Get lost. The best discoveries happen when you are not looking at a map. |