Once upon a time there was a girl who lived in the south of

Kerstin Schuhfleck, report of an amazing exchange year in ABQ, NM July 2004 “Once upon a time there was a girl who lived in the south of Austria and she decided to start her studies in Graz. She studied English and Religious Studies, but her dream was to study abroad for at least one year. She applied for an exchange year in America and was chosen to go to New Mexico. She didn’t really have a favorite place in mind, but somehow she ended up studying at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. This exchange year changed her life completely!!!” Well, this girl was me, Kerstin Schuhfleck, and the past year in New Mexico really changed my life. I decided to finish my studies here at UNM and this was the best decision I have ever made. I applied for the Graduate Program at the University of New Mexico and in January 2005 I am going to start my Masters Program in Religious Studies. Now back to the exchange year. The experiences of the last year have been really amazing and I would recommend that everyone study one year abroad, or more specifically, in Albuquerque. This place is purely magical and I really love it from the bottom of my heart. New Mexico offers so many opportunities and exciting experiences. Once you have fallen in love with this country, it is no longer simply a land of enchantment, but rather a land of entrapment ( and what a glorious trap it is!). I met so many lovely people from all over the world and it did not take very long before we became a big international family. New Mexico is home to so many different cultures and customs allowing each and every New Mexican to feel like a world traveler. If you choose to come your first experience will probably be with the International Office. Let me just say that you are in good hands. The people who work there are great and more than willing to help you in any and every situation. The orientation days are very well -1- Kerstin Schuhfleck, report of an amazing exchange year in ABQ, NM July 2004 organized and get you off to a great start, introducing you to the campus and getting you all the information you need to start your semester (hopefully more than one) at UNM. The first trip, which was organized by the International Office, lead us to the famous town of Taos. Taos is located in Northern New Mexico and it is famous for their skiing slopes and for the wonderful mountains. Almost the whole International Office Staff went with us and we had three wonderful and exciting days there. This trip is very important for every International Student, because you get to know each other and it is just a great opportunity to make friends. Hopefully, you will make lifelong friends and meet people that you will never forget and take my word for it, there is no better feeling on earth. The University and all the departments are really great and they offer a lot of opportunities. Studying at UNM you really get a clear idea of how it is to study in America. I quickly learned exactly how completely different it is than studying in Austria. I study Religious Studies and English and I am continually impressed by each department. The professors are really different compared to Austrian professors and the entire system in general is much different. I truly loved all my classes and the difference quickly make up the most exciting part of your adventure here. During the fall term you have a fall break and almost everybody goes on a trip. The International Office organized a trip again, but some people, who had a private car went on a trip by themselves. I, for example, went to California to visit my relatives and of course, had an incredible time. Then during Christmas break, some of my friends and I, we went home to Austria for a visit and others went to Mexico or just traveled around in the US. The spring semester goes even faster than the fall semester and is much better than the fall term. Around the middle of the semester is spring break and again, either the International Office organizes a trip or you go and see some different places and countries with your new friends. My friends and I , went to San Francisco. It was a fun and amazing trip, we saw so many things. We traveled first to Las Vegas and then through Mammoth to San Francisco, California. After three wonderful days in San Francisco we went south to L.A. and then to Palm Springs. We all had a great time, and with people from around the world as your friends it is not long before you are speaking French or -2- Kerstin Schuhfleck, report of an amazing exchange year in ABQ, NM July 2004 Spanish or who knows what. Needless to say there is lots of laughter and some incredible experiences. As I said before, New Mexico is a place filled with countless cultures and so many marvelous people, there are no words to explain. You will simply have to come and experience it for yourself. You will quickly experience how awesome and transforming this state can be. Part of what made New Mexico such a magical place for me was undoubtedly the University and all the people within it. This very unique part of America is full of countless extraordinary experiences. The whole year is so exciting, and even though working and studying as much as you do can be stressful and a change from studying in Austria, it is more than worth it. The classes or the weekly schedule are very different than we are used from our system in Austria. It is somehow like going back to school and you have your classes where you really have to be attendant. The exams are mostly multiple choice questions except for the literature classes. There you have to write essays or answer questions in an essay-form. It is really different than our exams but you get used to it very quickly. I really love the system here and that is part of the reason I have decided to stay here and begin my Masters program. I am going to earn my Master in Religious Studies and help in the International Office as well. I am looking forward to helping the new International Students start their adventure at UNM. If you decide to come visit this incredible place, be sure to look me up. I will be here to answer any questions you may have or to simply share all the incredible memories of my exchange year. Nice greetings from the land of enchantment Kerstin Schuhfleck  kerstinschuh@hotmail.com or kerstin@unm.edu . -3-