Emma LEDUC

Licence 3 Economie et Finance

Projet d’initiative

« How I loved my trip in Arizona as an exchange student »

A coproduction UCL (Université Catholique de Lille) and ASU (Arizona State University)

Featuring

international stars

….

Moriel Adimor ~ Irvine ~ USADavid Dos Ajos ~ Madrid ~ Spain

Alexandre Buhannic ~ Toulouse ~ FranceJill Carle ~ Chandler ~ USA

Megan Carle ~ Chandler ~ USAFanny Chan ~ Hong Kong ~ ChinaJacky Chang ~ Hsinchu ~TaiwanLok Chung ~ Honk Kong ~ China

Safiya Clay ~Tempe ~ USAAlli Coritz ~ Tucson ~ USA

Naomi Danton ~ Tempe ~ USAPaulo Da Silva ~ Lisbon ~ Portugal

Hector Salvador Ferri ~ Madrid ~ SpainGordon Faster ~ Huston ~ USA

Mathieu Gattaz ~ Grenoble ~ FranceRyan Gerken ~ Omaha ~ USA

Robert Glick ~ Philadelphia ~ USAAlexander Greinacher ~ Essen ~ Germany

Morgan Halas ~ Lille ~ FranceJulia Heighton ~ London ~ United KingdomRodrigo Arandia Herrera ~ Puebla ~ Mexico

Katie Holt ~ Saint Louis ~ USAChristopher Kark ~ Tucson ~ USAMikael Kula ~ Bielefeld ~ Germany

Arnaud Labalette ~Mulhouse ~France Cuong Le ~ Hanoi ~ Vietnam

Boram Lee ~ Seoul ~ South KoreaTrace Main ~ Denver ~ USA

Aitana Amigo Rodriguez ~ Léon ~ SpainRichard Mearns ~ London ~ United Kingdom

Kana Michidoi ~ Hiroshima ~ Japan Alexander Mitter ~ Linz ~ Austria

Valérie Morgan ~ Saudi Arabia Matthew Morgan ~ Saudi Arabia

Daniel Muensturmann ~ Bielefeld ~ GermanyAlex Nguyen ~Hanoi ~ VietnamLance Olson ~ Bismarck ~ USAIan Pasek ~ Scottsdale ~ USA

Rocío Guerrero Pastor ~ Madrid ~ SpainTatiana Pavlova ~ Volgograd ~ RussiaDustin Perrotti ~Seoul ~ South Korea

Pierre Borghi ~ Grenoble ~ FranceRyan Propoggio ~ Gilbert ~ USAMartin Rigal ~ Rouen ~ France

Anne-Sophie Roland ~ Paris ~ FranceLauren Schofield ~ York ~ United Kingdom

Murielle Nyugen Thuy ~ Paris ~ FranceGary Wong ~ Glendale ~USA

Fanta Fang Zhou ~ Shenzhen ~ China

This small person is actually

me. Let me

introduce you the

summary

First, I’ll talk about all the great

teachers

whom I’ve

met at the ASU

I.

…The incredible weather…

II.Then, let’s talk about our long nights…

III.

…Usually at the

library…

IV.

V.

Hopefully, we had a lot of

fun !

VI.

And anecdotes …

I. My teachers

I took 4 different classes, Survey of International economics, Accounting and Financial Analysis, Advanced Honors Macroeconomics 2, and Introduction to Econometrics.

¤ Survey of International Economics ECN 306 ~ Mr Josef Brada

This topic is quite similar to Mr Mace’s classes. We talk about Ricardo, international trade, exchange rates…but the book is so long to read !

Once or twice per week, you have to take quizzes online (www.applia .com) and you have to take 4 different exams, the last one is called the Final.

Mr Brada wrote the book Eastern European Economics (click here to see the summary)

I. My teachers

¤ Accounting and Financial Analysis ACC382 ~Stephen L. West

You have to buy the reference book, Survey of Accounting by Warren.

4 tests of 50 questions + exercices every week

Dr West’s son did an exhange program in Gernamy, so this teacher definitely knows how hard is it sometimes to learn in a foreign language. He is really open-minded, and helpful. And he is always available if you have any questions, regarding the exercices, the book….

Let’s talk a little about the books.

The educational system in the US is different from France. There are only 4 to 5 classes (12 credits) but the students have more homework. The tests aren’t just about the lecture, but also about the reference books. So you must read hundred s of pages per week, learn them, and do the exercices or papers that the teachers ask you to do.Reference books are really expensive. I paid 150$ for a brand new accounting book, But for the other classes, I bought second-hand books which I sold back at the end of my trip.

I. My teachers

Advanced Honors Macroeconomics 2 ECN414 ~ Edward Schlee

One of the hardest classes. You don’t really need the reference book (priced at 50$) but the class is hard. You would really need to focus during the lecture. There aren’t a lot of students in this class (15~20), so you can ask question easily. Every week, you have an assignment due. Usually, you have to do it with a study group. Americans love study groups .You just meet each other to begin the homework. The Mid-term isn’t an exam, it is a homework which is

really long to do. Your final is an « open-book » exam (and it’s not a quiz like in the other classes) . However, this doesn’t mean that it’s easy. The exam was very challenging.Mr Schlee is an intelligent professor however it gets to be difficult to follow him because he tends to think and talk too fast! But still, it was definitely a pleasure to attend his class.

I. My teachers

Introduction to Econometrics ECN425 ~ Seung AhnMr Ahn is a South Korean teacher, you have to work hard for his class. You have to learn his notes, the book, and also learn how using eviews, an econometric program. There are 4 tests (25% multiple choice questions, 75% exercices) and also 3 homeworks, one of them is called « a paper  » it is like a dissertation about a topic of your choice.

Arizona State University (ASU) is one of the biggest University in the US, almost 60,000 students.

The ASU is divided into different departments (language, education…) The Department of Economics is called « WP Carey School of Business »

At the WP Carey, you might meet Dr Edward C. Prescott, Awarded 2004 Nobel Prize in

Economic Sciences

He shares the prize with Finn Kydland of Carnegie Mellon University and the

University of California, Santa Barbara

Prescott, who is part of the W. P. Carey School’s department of economics, is known

for his seminal work in policy analysis, business cycles, economic development,

general equilibrium theory, and finance. His examination of time inconsistency in the context of government policy making has

helped shape the debate over the effectiveness of rules versus discretion in

the conduct of economic policy. His work on business cycles has recast the way economists think about economic

fluctuations, arguing that they represent the optimal response of the economy to

various shocks.

Want to learn more about him ? Click here

II. The weather

When I arrived in Arizona :

During the day 110°F (43°C)

During the night 86°F (30°C)

3 rainy days on 5 months

On Mid-September, it’s getting colder (hopefully) , but all the time sunny.

Important : bring in your luggage : sunscreen and Aloe Vera ! Trust me…

Because of the weather, we can call Arizona as a desert. Just rocks and exotics trees, palm trees and cactus…

The problem with this weather is the American’s way of living. Imagine American people using every day their cars, using air conditionning, building fontains everywhere…

Some people say that Tempe is an ecologic disaster…

III. Our long nights

As I said, the way that we study in the US is really different. First, let me show you my scheduleTuesday Wednesday Thursday

9H30 - 10H15 ECN306  

9H30 - 10H15 ECN306

12H15 - 1H30 ECN425  

12H15 - 1H30 ECN425

3H15 - 4H30 ECN414  

3H15 - 4H30 ECN414

 7H - 9H ACC382  

I didn’t have a lot of classes however each class required a lot of work. There were a lot of homeworks and translation to be accomplished and piles of readings to read. Occassionally you would also need to meet with your study group just in case you have trouble in understanding some of your lessons. Probably because of the sun, you go to bed later and wake up later also (like in Spain) . We usually spend our nights studying. Some periods are much difficult than others. The period « Mid-Terms » is really hard because all the tests are scheduled in the same week.My first test was terrible. I didn’t know what kind of test to expect so I asked Mr Brada and he told me that it was a multiple choice test. I thought it was going to be easy… but I was dead wrong ! After this test, I got used to studying more…

IV. The library

Hayden Library is a really special place. Close to the memorial Union (with all the fast food places), it is the heart of the ASU. Hayden library is bigger than all the UCL !A part of the Hayden library is underground.Hayden libray isn’t specialized on one topic,. They offer a variety of books in different fields. It is open 24/7. If you want to do an all nighter, you must use your ASU ID : « SunCard 

IV. The library

Library’s rulesWhen you see that signs, it means :

free to talk

Be discret

Not allowed to talk

V. A lot of fun

51. Halloween

Halloween is such an important moment at the ASU. For one week, parties are held everywhere in the campus. The 31st of November was a Friday and everybody went on Mill Avenue (the main street) to celebrate Halloween.52. My trips

Exchange programs are really great because you get to travel. In Arizona, you can visit the Grand Canyon…I also visited Hawaïi, Reno…

53. Traditions531. ASU games

To go to the football game, you have to wear the yellow shirt. One of the biggest traditions before going to the match is the « tailgate .» Tailgating is when you go on a parking lot before a match. TheAmericans organize a BBQ behind their cars and drink beer (don’t forget that you must be 21 years old in the US to be able to drink ,go to clubs, and enter in some restaurants after 8pm)

A football game is like magic to me. I still don’t understand the rules, but the ambiance is really great. I still hear « bullshit, bullshit » when the referee gave the point to the other team (Arizona University VS ASU)

532. Thanksgiving

I went to Reno to visit my American family for Thanksgiving (21th of November) We had a break on Thursday and everybody leaves the campus during this break to see their families. My American mother prepared a traditional american meal. Let’s see…

VI. Anecdotes

The 19th of november, Obama went to the ASU. Almost all of the students of the University attended !

62. Language barrier

During Thanksgiving…

Emma, What do you think

about the Turkey ?

I don’t know…seems to be a current topic in Europe…

Sorry ?

OOh Hot Grande cafE mochA

I would like a hOt grandE cAfé mOcha

I would like a hOt gRandE cAfé mOcha

Conlusion

I really appreciate this trip in the US. I feel that I’m a different person now. I study more, I understand better, and my English is definitely better. I didn’t talk about culture shock and feeling home-sick because these are things that I really didn’t experience. I’ve been waiting for this kind of opportunity for such a long time. I do not regret all the pressures and difficult moments that I had because of all the administrative problems.

The ASU loves exchange students, and we were all like a family. It was one of the best times of my life. I keep in touch with a lot of American and international friends. After my term in the US, I would want to come back and finish my degree there ! It was a nice experience, living independently and having to immerse myself in other cultures. I met wonderful people, and I hope that you guys who will do an exchange program will enjoy as much as I did.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me at : emma.leduc@asu.edu

Special acknowledgments

…To Mrs Blondeau and Mr Van Peteghem for letting me go to the ASU…

…To Eric Leinen who was so helpful, that I contacted so many times about my administative problems…

…To My American teachers, Mr Ahn, Mr Brada, Mr Schlee and Mr West. Their classes were really interesting. And I keep very

good memories…

…To my French teachers who helped me when I had troubles with the American homework and paper due…

…To Mrs Perrota, who wrote a wonderful recommandation letter when I failed the TOEFL…

…To Sarah Thomas, who invited me for her family Thanksgiving…

…To Megan and Jill Carle, for their international parties with the Global Devils…

…I would like to say…

…Thanks…

END