MUDEC Méinden-Weekly news from the MUDEC community for the MUDEC community-#lifelongMUDEC

Fall 2021 #12

November 15, 2021

Managing Life in Oxford While Studying Abroad

by Hannah Horsington, MUDEC newsletter intern

One of the biggest challenges MUDEC students face while studying in Luxembourg is keeping up with responsibilities in Oxford. Between the time difference, classes, interviews and travel plans, it can feel daunting to have to focus on matters in Oxford as well as life in Luxembourg. As the semester has gone on, however, I’ve learned to manage my responsibilities here and in Oxford, and my time management skills have benefited greatly!

Whether it’s club responsibilities, internship applications/interviews, or keeping in touch with family and friends, here are a few tips I’ve learned along the way to help me maintain my life at home while exploring the world:

Reserve a small amount of time each week dedicated to talking with family and friends

I’m busy with classes and traveling, and sometimes it’s hard to remember that people at home are busy too - they aren’t always available to talk when I am. To make sure I talk with my parents regularly, I set a certain time each week to send them pictures and update them on my travel plans. It makes me feel better to talk to my parents, and they feel better being in the loop on what I’m up to.

When it comes to my boyfriend, we try to make sure that we have at least one night a week where we talk on the phone instead of just texting. This is important: hearing someone’s actual voice is a lot different than just reading a text message. I also make sure to reserve some time every evening to check in with my friends, even if it’s just a quick message!

Remember that you may have to be thinking ahead

Every college student knows that internships are an important part of preparing for a career, and this doesn’t stop while studying abroad. Many summer internships hold interviews or have applications due in the fall, which can be a bit of a challenge if you happen to be in Luxembourg at this time.

Come into the semester with an open mind. While it’s important to live in the moment, your future is important too, so don’t disregard things you would be doing in Oxford. It’s also important to embrace the fact that just because you’re abroad doesn’t mean you can’t go for the internship or job— this is what Zoom is for! I took a couple hours out of my day while traveling in Paris to do some interviews, and the interviewers ended up being even MORE impressed that I took time out of my day in Paris just to talk to them!

Know that it’s okay to take some time off

I’m involved in multiple organizations on campus in Oxford, and I am even the co-president of one. As soon as I knew that I would be studying abroad this fall, I let the other members of my organizations know, so we could be prepared.

For one organization, I now do more remote work, while the other co-president manages all of the in-person activities. For example, while she supervises the filming of our monthly newscast, I review the video and send feedback.

In another organization, I decided to take the semester off entirely, which is completely okay! Don’t be afraid to tell your club members that you’d like to take some time off. They know that it’s for a good reason—you’ll be traveling the world, and they’ll be supportive!

Trying New Foods

by Meta Hoge, MUDEC newsletter intern

Before coming to Europe, I was nervous about what meals I’d have because I’m a pretty picky eater. Back home, I never really went out of my way to eat something different, but I made myself a promise that I was going to at least try new foods while abroad.

The good news is that I’ve really liked a lot of the meals I’ve had. Thinking about how being in Europe has helped me to expand my palate inspired me to document the favorite foods that I had in each country I've visited.

Germany

My very favorite foods came from Germany. I had the best bratwurst I’ve ever had in my life just from a to-go stand. Before visiting, I’d never eaten traditional schnitzel and the schweineschnitzel I had at a nice restaurant in Stuttgart was delicious. Also, I’m a big pretzel fan, and German pretzels are unmatched.

France

France is the only country on this list that I’ve been to more than twice. When I visited Strasbourg, one of the best things I ate was the flammekueche. The traditional version is a flatbread with cream sauce, cheese, onions with chives and bacon on top, but there are variations of it which have more toppings.

I had quiche Lorraine at a restaurant in Paris. Next to that restaurant was a chocolate store, and I bought a box of macarons there. I tried some new flavors, like coconut and rose, and I can say that I enjoyed every flavor in my box.

Netherlands

When I was in Amsterdam, I ate a lot of Dutch breakfast foods, which was great because I love breakfast! At the Pancake House, I had a Dutch pancake with apple crumble, cinnamon and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I think about that pancake a lot because it was exquisite. I also made sure to have a stroopwafel, and that was amazing as well.

Poland

Poland's pierogies have won my heart. I didn’t know what a pierogi was prior to going to Poland on my study tour, and now it is one of my new favorite things. One thing I especially liked was that there were so many options for fillings and toppings.

I also had a lot of different kinds of soup in Poland. Normally I’m not a big soup fan, but those soups were pretty tasty.

Greece

I feel that I didn’t really eat a lot of traditional foods in Greece. However, I had a lot of pasta, and pasta is my favorite food, so I enjoyed those meals. I made sure to try a gyro, although it wasn’t one of my favorites on that trip.

However, I ate a lot of gelato! One of the gelato places had a pineapple flavor which I loved. It was maybe the best ice cream I’ve ever had, which is really saying something because ice cream is one of my favorite things in the world.

Belgium

I was only in Belgium for a short amount of time, so I didn’t eat much. I made sure to get some Belgian fries because they’re so famous. The fries were good but I couldn’t eat too many of them because they were quite filling. Then I wanted to try a Belgian waffle, but I was too full from lunch. Maybe some other time...

While studying abroad, I think I’ve tried more new foods than I ever had before, and I’m glad that I've taken those opportunities to step out of my comfort zone. Food is one of my favorite things about being in Europe, and it is something that I will definitely miss when I go home.

Meet Dr. Brooks

by Maddie Kelley, MUDEC newsletter intern

Dr. Eric Brooks is one of Oxford’s athletic training professors. He normally spends his school years with small class sizes full of aspiring athletic trainers, and then leaving to be in the comfort of his own home. But this fall semester, Brooks shook things up a bit and moved with his wife and two kids into the Château, two floors up from his classroom, to teach the students in the Kinesiology cohort.

Q: How do you feel about being part of the first KNH cohort abroad?

Brooks: I am extremely grateful. I feel lucky to have been asked, and everyone has been great so it has been a really easy semester to be here. Even though we don’t have all the tools we have in Oxford, such as anatomical models and treatment tables, it has worked out great.

Q: How did you feel teaching a LUNEX course?

Brooks: Essentially it was just teaching, but with a different dynamic. Since this was every day for two weeks, the course was compressed, which is something we aren’t used to in the American college model. That was a little bit of an adjustment, both teaching-wise and learning-wise too for the students. With a two-week course, you still get to know your students, but then it’s over so quickly.

Q: What have the adjustments been with bringing your family here?

Brooks: School has been a little bit different because we’re used to a bus system; here my wife takes the children to school on the train. It is an English-speaking school, yet they’re taking French and Luxembourgish with some instruction that is not in English. Time-wise, school is about the same as back home, except that it started a little later into September, so my kids were very anxious to get back into classes. It's been great though. They’ve met a lot of new friends, and it's going to be bittersweet to go home.

Q: What has been your favorite part of being here?

Brooks: This is the first time I’ve ever been to Europe, and that in itself is my favorite part. Being grateful to have the opportunity to come over here and travel and remove myself from my comfort zone, whether it's teaching, culture, language, or just living...Knowing that there are other approaches to just about everything. We’ve gotten to see so many cool places that, if it wasn’t for this, I might have never gotten the opportunity to experience.

Q: Is there any advice that you would give Oxford professors coming to MUDEC in years to come?

Brooks: Just be flexible and open. Be able to work productively and positively with what you have and get out of your comfort zone. Keep the framework of your class, because it probably is a class you’ve taught before, but also be open to a different approach to that class. The way you deliver it here might be different, but that's okay; I think that's how we want it. We the students to not only get the credits but also to experience the different setting.

Follow MUDEC on Social Media

We are happy to share MUDEC events and news with all of you! If you no longer wish to receive the newsletter per GDPR, please unsubscribe below.

Manage your preferences | Opt out using TrueRemove™
Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive our future emails.
View this email online.

1, Impasse du Chateau
Differdange, | L-4524 LU

This email was sent to .
To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book.