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As the inaugural semester of the Brown in-Canada study abroad program comes to a close, students are complaining that though they received high-quality educations from schools all across that country, and have been exposed to most of the climates and cultures Canada has to offer, their overall experiences have been lukewarm.
Frank Simms '10, who spent the last two and a half months studying at the University of Toronto, told Noser reporters about his disappointment with the Brown-in-Canada program.
"You know, you apply to study abroad thinking you're going to get a completely different experience from what you have at Brown. I thought living in Canada would completely blow my mind. The only differences I've seen are that they serve real maple syrup in the dining halls instead of that melted plastic shit you get in the Ratty and the students actually like going to sporting events. well, just hockey, really, and who gives a fuck about that?"
Lisa Cellini '10.5 lamented her decision to attend Calgary College over the University of Melbourne in Australia.
"I see Facebook pictures of my friends studying in Argentina and Australia and they look so tan. I'm as pasty white as ever. The only things I've gained in the past two months are the ability to talk about loonies and tuques without making a fool of myself, and this shitty Canadian accent. Who wouldn't want those invaluable life skills, eh?"
One student in the Brown-in-Canada program did not attend a Canadian college or university.
Geology concentrator Stephen Miller '10 attained university credit for participation in a field study on the effects of global warming in the Northwest Territories. Not only was Miller dissatisfied with the cultural aspect of his time away from Brown, but also felt short-changed by the educational side of the program.
"I've spent the last 10 weeks taking temperature measurements, tracking the receding glaciers, and collecting soil samples. You know what I've learned? It's fucking cold in Canada. I've started running my car 24 hours a day and asked my mom to cut down the 6 trees in our back yard in an attempt to speed up the process.
Thank god I'm getting the fuck out of here before winter actually starts." Only one student in the group had anything positive to say about the program. Christina Anderson '11 has loved the freedom afforded her by studying away. "I can drink whenever I want and the Canadian authorities have a very laid back attitude toward recreational drug use. These are the amazing kinds of things studying in Canada has to offer that I would have missed out on had I stayed at Brown."
