My 🔹🔹🔹 year: what, where, when
And now I’m back, with a backpack of new experiences,
inspiration, knowledge, and ready to write, write, write!
I went to the USA for my 🔹🔹🔹 experience on
8 August 2015 and returned on 4 June 2016. The experience was great, fantastic,
eye-opening, mind-blowing, developmental and many other positive adjectives. But
first, some facts: where exactly did I go and what exactly did I do?
Good news: On 30 April 2015, I got an email, which made me
jump and yell triumphantly. It started,“Congratulations! You have been selected for the 🔹🔹🔹 Program.” In August, I went to teach Russian and study at University
of New Haven (West haven, Connecticut, USA).
University: University of New Haven (UNH for short)
has a student body of 5,000-10,000 students. Most of the people taking Russian
at UNH have one of (or both of) these two majors: criminal justice and national
security.
Location: UNH is located in a small town of West Haven,
which is very conveniently located and has good transport links. New York City
is only a 2-hour train ride away and 🔹 is only a 10-minute bus ride away.
Housing: I lived in university housing, in a two-floor
shared house. My roommate* had some kind of office job at the university. The
house was a 30-minute walking distance from the university or a 10-minute
bus/car ride. There was a university shuttle service and I was also provided
with a free local bus pass. (Although I didn’t have to walk, I often did.)
Teaching: I was a primary teacher at beginner level, teaching 3 times a week at 8 am. Additionally, I had office hours (6 hours a week), Russian tables (2 hours a week) and in spring semester I taught a “language lab” on Russian émigré writers and poets of the 20th century (which I absolutely loved!). I also took part in and / or helped organize film and culture festivals as a representative of Russian culture. (More about me teaching Russian and Russian emigre literature.)
Studying: As part of the program, we were required to
take at least 2 courses per semester, one of which had to be in US Studies and
the other three had to be related to our professional development as teachers
of English. I took all 4 courses on credit basis, which means I did all
coursework, took exams and was assessed on the same basis as every other
student enrolled in the course. The courses I took and the grades I got: Speaking
and Writing for Professionals (A+), Public Speaking and Group
Discussion (A -), Introduction to Creative Writing (A+), American
History since 1607 (A).
Finances: The grant covered everything: housing, meals,
university tuition, travel to and from host institution, and a medical
insurance. I also got a monthly stipend, which wasn’t large, but given that everything
else was provided, I could save up for traveling.
I think that pretty much covers the everyday specifics of my 🔹🔹🔹 year.
Disclaimer: Every participant has a different story to tell.
This is just my personal experience and the details of my participation in the
program.
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