Let me say first that if I hadn't already been living in Brussels for two months, if I hadn't gotten used to working rather than doing homework, had never been abroad before, or was still in undergrad, this program wouldn't really be that bad.
Unfortunately, none of the above describes me, and the program really is that bad.
And it's not just me. There are other GSPIA students here, and at least one of them feels the same way I do.
We never actually got a final calendar listing all the classes and visits. We got tentative calendars and had to expect changes even after classes began. Nothing was finalized until the very last minute. It's understandable for some situations, but this mostly just reflected bad planning. Class doesn't start on time, and most definitely doesn't end on time, which really messes with my schedule. Unlike most of the rest of the students on this program, I actually like to get away from the dorms, go out and see the city, and not have my entire day consumed by class and wasting time.
We spent the first three weeks listening to lots of different speakers and visiting all the European institutions. Most of the speakers were quite interesting, and getting to see the Commission, Parliament, Court of Justice, Council, and Investment Bank was pretty neat.
For the last two weeks we have more of an academic class that is technically supposed to be about EU policy debates. Now, I am usually a much better student, but I must confess that I don't even own the books, so I haven't done any reading, and I spend the entire class period doing research for the completely unrelated paper that I have to write for the course, so I don't listen at all. However, when I look up every so often, I can almost guarantee that the professor will be predicting the collapse of the EU, complaining about what one of our more informed speakers said, or pressing her ideas and opinions on the class without giving much, if any, voice to the opposing side. She oozes academia and really just likes to hear herself talk.
My favorite comment she actually made on the first day of class, right after we visited the European Parliament. She wanted to talk about the EU's image and what it was doing to promote a positive public perception. Her first observation was about how the Parliament building's location and architecture did not really look like national parliament buildings and was lacking symbolism, and that it didn't promote the ideas of accessibility or transparency.
For those who are unfamiliar with the EU or who have never seen the EU Parliament building:
1. Of course the EU Parliament building doesn't look like other national buildings. Why? It lacks symbols similar to national ones because they make painstaking efforts to not favor or exclude any one member state. Clearly it wouldn't look like the US Congress building because it just so happens that it is not in the US. Fascinating! Perhaps it has something to do with the time period in which the building was constructed. Perhaps for such modern and unprecedented institutions, the architects wanted modern and unprecedented buildings.
2. On the note of accessibility and transparency - The building is well positioned at the end of a major street, at the end of a roundabout, surrounded by popular restaurants, where many buses pass daily, and near a metro stop. And that is just the front entrance. It is also the first EU building you come across walking from the center of town, the Royal Park, the Royal Palace, many Embassy's including the U.S. Embassy, and several National Permanent Representations to the EU. And, almost the entire building is glass. An effort to show accessibility and transparency? I think so.
Anyway, sorry for the rant and a few run on sentences...
Luckily, I got to stay on part time at work through most of the program. Otherwise I probably would have abandoned all motivation.
Some of the more positive things...
A friend of mine from Pitt, Corinne, is here on the program, too. She has already been to Brussels, knows a lot of good places to go, and is always up to go out with my other friends from here.
We went to Luxembourg for three days. The first day and a half were for institution visits, but the rest of the time we could explore the city. Corinne and I wandered aimlessly for a bit and went to the American Military Cemetery.
Unfortunately, none of the above describes me, and the program really is that bad.
And it's not just me. There are other GSPIA students here, and at least one of them feels the same way I do.
We never actually got a final calendar listing all the classes and visits. We got tentative calendars and had to expect changes even after classes began. Nothing was finalized until the very last minute. It's understandable for some situations, but this mostly just reflected bad planning. Class doesn't start on time, and most definitely doesn't end on time, which really messes with my schedule. Unlike most of the rest of the students on this program, I actually like to get away from the dorms, go out and see the city, and not have my entire day consumed by class and wasting time.
We spent the first three weeks listening to lots of different speakers and visiting all the European institutions. Most of the speakers were quite interesting, and getting to see the Commission, Parliament, Court of Justice, Council, and Investment Bank was pretty neat.
 |
| Parliament Visit |
 |
| European Investment Bank |
 |
| European Court of Justice |
For the last two weeks we have more of an academic class that is technically supposed to be about EU policy debates. Now, I am usually a much better student, but I must confess that I don't even own the books, so I haven't done any reading, and I spend the entire class period doing research for the completely unrelated paper that I have to write for the course, so I don't listen at all. However, when I look up every so often, I can almost guarantee that the professor will be predicting the collapse of the EU, complaining about what one of our more informed speakers said, or pressing her ideas and opinions on the class without giving much, if any, voice to the opposing side. She oozes academia and really just likes to hear herself talk.
My favorite comment she actually made on the first day of class, right after we visited the European Parliament. She wanted to talk about the EU's image and what it was doing to promote a positive public perception. Her first observation was about how the Parliament building's location and architecture did not really look like national parliament buildings and was lacking symbolism, and that it didn't promote the ideas of accessibility or transparency.
For those who are unfamiliar with the EU or who have never seen the EU Parliament building:
1. Of course the EU Parliament building doesn't look like other national buildings. Why? It lacks symbols similar to national ones because they make painstaking efforts to not favor or exclude any one member state. Clearly it wouldn't look like the US Congress building because it just so happens that it is not in the US. Fascinating! Perhaps it has something to do with the time period in which the building was constructed. Perhaps for such modern and unprecedented institutions, the architects wanted modern and unprecedented buildings.
2. On the note of accessibility and transparency - The building is well positioned at the end of a major street, at the end of a roundabout, surrounded by popular restaurants, where many buses pass daily, and near a metro stop. And that is just the front entrance. It is also the first EU building you come across walking from the center of town, the Royal Park, the Royal Palace, many Embassy's including the U.S. Embassy, and several National Permanent Representations to the EU. And, almost the entire building is glass. An effort to show accessibility and transparency? I think so.
 |
| EU Parliament |
Anyway, sorry for the rant and a few run on sentences...
Luckily, I got to stay on part time at work through most of the program. Otherwise I probably would have abandoned all motivation.
Some of the more positive things...
A friend of mine from Pitt, Corinne, is here on the program, too. She has already been to Brussels, knows a lot of good places to go, and is always up to go out with my other friends from here.
We went to Luxembourg for three days. The first day and a half were for institution visits, but the rest of the time we could explore the city. Corinne and I wandered aimlessly for a bit and went to the American Military Cemetery.
 |
| Wow! The building where the first ECSC meetings were held! |
General Patton is buried in this cemetery
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