“Experience a different academic system” is included on nearly every list of reasons to study abroad. There’s a good reason for that. Many other forms of education vary from the one we are accustomed to in the U.S. Many of these differences can be attributed to the influence of the culture of the particular country.

To be successful in class while abroad, adaptation is necessary. However, it can be easier said than done.

The first shock I got once arriving on campus at the University of Hyderabad in Hyderabad, India, was the lack of concrete scheduling of classes. Two weeks into the semester, classes were still being discontinued or times changed, something I would not have experienced at NDSU. Even after classes were solidified, spontaneous canceling of classes by the professor and even the university itself occurred.

I have packed myself into a crowded bus multiple times, only to find after reaching class that it was canceled.

The format of the classes was different as well. Instead of an hour or hour-and-a-half long class, each course is blocked at two hours twice a week. Unlike my experience with classes back at NDSU, these classes are graduate level and do not utilize anything more than a chalkboard to illustrate points. I find myself with way more free time than I seem to recall ever having, due to the absence of weekly assignments.

Instead of periodic assignments, each class has three exams that can be a paper, presentation, essay test or group project, each worth 20 percent of the final grade. After all of the exams are taken, the lowest is dropped, leaving the final exam to constitute 60 percent of the grade for the class. I honestly sometimes find myself missing regular assignments.

While it was difficult to adjust to this new system and there was initially a lot of uncertainty and stress involved, I have gained confidence in my ability as a student. Now, with a mere six weeks left in the fall semester, I look back at my unsure beginnings and appreciate the newfound skills this year abroad has given me so far.