Life is a Box of Swiss Chocolates is a weekly column showcasing the life of a UFV student studying abroad. Jennifer is in Lucerne, Switzerland at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts this semester, and documenting the process as she goes.
This week has been a very full week! I started classes, attended the traditional Swiss carnival called Fasnacht, and road tripped to Geneva and a little town in France.
First of all, I am pretty excited about all four classes I am taking. They are more focused on the social and political sides of business, which I feel I haven’t had an opportunity to study at UFV. The program also has a much more internationally-focused aspect, which is very eye-opening.
There are some similarities between the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts and UFV, like smaller class sizes and a focus on in-class participation as well as group work. However, there are a few aspects that are completely different, and I am not sure yet if I will enjoy the differences or find them frustrating. One thing is the time structure of the longer classes. My Monday class is six hours but has a one hour lunch break and two to three 15-minute breaks. My Monday and Friday classes also have multiple instructors. At this point I have spent around 28 francs ($36 CAD) on books; most instructors here make handout versions of their PowerPoints and readings for the next week, which is a lot of paper but very, very handy. My campus is also easy to get to, as it is right at the Lucerne train station, which is like the Seven Oaks bus loop times 100.
Another thing that is different at this university is that the students and faculty almost always close the doors after they enter the classroom. I am used to the UFV standard of if it’s closed you wait until it opens. Needless to say, I kind of panicked when I did not see anyone come out or go into the room five minutes before the class was supposed to start. Then I watched some local students just walk right in and there were all my friends sitting down in the class.
There is a very exciting five-day annual carnival in Lucerne called Fasnacht, which happened this week in the old part of downtown Lucerne. People were dressed to the nines in all types of costumes and the libations were definitely flowing throughout the whole place. It is acceptable to drink outside almost anywhere here.
I woke up at 3 a.m. on Thursday morning, got dressed in my hippy costume, and met my fellow hippy exchange student friends at the train station to take the 4:15 a.m. train into downtown Lucerne. The train was packed full of people in every costume you could imagine. There was a big bang to kick off the carnival which was just one elaborate firework shot off a large yacht. Afterwards the crowd marched into the centre of the old town beside marching bands that came from every side possible to battle and try to outdo each other. It was the strangest and most amazing experience. The bands played everything from Sweet Caroline to Green Day to traditional Swiss music — it was awesome. In the main square of the old town there were people dressed in traditional costumes tossing oranges and cookies into the crowd while cannons full of confetti went off. I am still finding confetti in my shoes, bedding, and on my floor. Anyone on my Snapchat knows all about it.
I also made my first venture out of Lucerne with a few other exchange students this weekend. We went to Geneva and saw the famous Jet d’Eau fountain, the World Trade Organization building, and the United Nations buildings. We even saw a small protest across from the UN under the Broken Chair monument.
Once we found the car again we decided to head to France for what we hoped would be a cheaper meal than in Switzerland. The other Canadian in the car and I got out our passports and expected to be stopped and asked where we were headed, how long we would be gone for, and why we were going. We were expecting an experience more similar to entering the U.S. but there was nothing. No one stopped us, and we just drove right into France past a mirrored somber building. Just like that we were in another country!
I was so excited to be in a country where I could read and understand the signs and the people talking on the street. After much debate the five of us decided to go for Indian food. We went all the way to France for Indian food, but what can I say? I have been thinking about butter chicken since I left home. The meal was great and the boys were happy so we all piled into the car and headed back on our three-hour trek home. I live three hours from France, weird!
It has been an exciting week starting to adjust to what is now normal in my life for at least the next few months. It’s so crazy, I am often overwhelmed by all the exciting things to see around me. You should do this too!
