{"id":1311,"date":"2024-04-11T15:31:35","date_gmt":"2024-04-11T13:31:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/internationalblog.unibe.ch\/?p=1311"},"modified":"2024-04-15T10:08:57","modified_gmt":"2024-04-15T08:08:57","slug":"from-bern-to-quebec-canada-through-patricias-lens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/internationalblog.unibe.ch\/?p=1311","title":{"rendered":"From Bern to Qu\u00e9bec: Canada through Patricia\u2019s lens"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Image: Patricia Bieri<\/sup><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Patricia Bieri studies political science at the University of Bern. Her exchange semester at Universit\u00e9 Laval in Canada encouraged her to embrace the unknown. In this interview, Patricia reflects on how she experienced classes at Universit\u00e9 Laval, the importance of language in Canadian politics, and why she believes going on an exchange semester is worth it.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Patricia, why did you choose to study for a semester at the Universit\u00e9 Laval in Qu\u00e9bec, Canada?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My brother encouraged me one day before the application deadline to apply for an exchange semester. I was accepted, packed my bags and rushed off into the unknown. It only hit me when I was on the plane that I was travelling to a place where I did not know anybody.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is studying at Universit\u00e9 Laval different compared to the University of Bern?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Universit\u00e9 Laval, I felt the courses were slightly more interactive than in Bern. Students were more willing to speak up and voice their opinions \u2013 even in large lectures. We had many open-book exams with open questions, where the focus was on applying what we had learned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“You have to experience it to believe it, so go on an exchange semester.”<\/p>Patricia Bieri<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Is the relationship between students and lecturers different?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the political science classes, we discussed a lot of everyday examples to apply the theories we had learned. The lecturers asked me lots of questions about direct democracy. When discussing Canadian politics, they would frequently turn to me and ask, \u201chow does this work in Switzerland?\u201d I felt they were interested in the perspectives of exchange students and keen to learn more about politics in other countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both countries are multilingual, how did you experience this?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the French-speaking part of Canada, language is very political. There are political parties that fight for the French language. Shops even have rules about the language they greet customers in. As a politics student, studying abroad was a unique opportunity to learn about politics in Canada. We even got a chance to visit parliament and listen to a debate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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