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Ethan Coleman
Jan 22, 2017
3 min read

With the conclusion of my second week of classes at WHU and third week in Vallendar, I am now starting to feel at home. The people in Vallendar and the students at WHU have been so welcoming to all the Tauschies. They say the second or third week is the hardest week while studying abroad. From missing family and friends, my dogs, home cooking, and everyone speaking in English, I feel the “blues” that I have been warned about. However, it is hard to have the "blues" when you are experiencing something brand new.

Before arriving in Vallendar, all the exchange students had the option to sign up for a “WHU buddy.” This person is a WHU student who volunteered to help make a great semester for an exchange student. Whether they show us around Vallendar, go out to eat regularly, or just someone to talk to, you will have a “buddy.” My WHU buddy, Frederic, is a first year and has been very helpful in my transition so far even though he has been busy with school.

I also have had the chance to see some familiar faces during my first two weeks at WHU. Last semester, I was a member in B.I.E.N. (Business International Exchange Network). In this club, UIUC College of Business students, like myself, would help with the transition and settling for the exchange students studying at UIUC in the College of Business. During my time in B.I.E.N., I was able to meet some students from WHU! During the past two weeks, I was able to see some old friends who studied abroad at UIUC last year. It was great seeing some familiar faces again.

Classes at WHU are very different than those at the University of Illinois. For example, at UIUC, classes are typically 16 week courses (semester courses) that meet on specific days of the week, time, and room. Most courses are either 50 minutes or 1hr 30 minutes. WHU courses, on the other hand, are divided into quarters. These courses meet only once a week for 3 hours. There is no Monday, Wednesday, Friday courses or Tuesday, Thursday courses like at UIUC. WHU courses also differ in days of the week, time, and location each week until the end of the quarter. For example, one class can meet on Monday at 08:00-11:15 in building D room 101. The next week, that same class would meet on Thursday at 15:15-18:45 (3:30PM-6:45PM) in building C room 001. I would have to admit that adjusting to this type of schedule was very difficult because sitting in a 3hr lecture can be tiring. I also like to stick to a specific schedule each week, which is not possible here at WHU unless you are very lucky.

Not only are the course schedules different, the point breakdown is too. At WHU, final grades are typically considered only by the final exam! (That is 100% of the grade is determined by the final exam!) At UIUC, I was upset if a final exam was worth more than 30% of the final grade. That is not the worst part. Most of my courses are ½ of a “module,” where WHU students take two courses that are similar each quarter. Exchange students are allowed to take ½ of a “module.” Final exams for the “module” courses take place the first week of May. This means that a class I take Quarter 3 (January 9-Februray 24) would have the final exam the first week of May. (Let’s hope I don’t forget anything!)

WHU Spring 2017 Term:

Quarter 3: January 9-Februray 24

Quarter 3 Finals: February 27-March 3

Quarter 4: March 6-April 28 (my classes end April 11)

Quarter 4 Finals: May 1-May5

Courses that I am enrolled in at WHU include:

Omnichannel Retail Marketing (Quarter 3)
Corporate Finance (Quarter 4) -- had to drop due to conflicts with exam and departure
Production & Service Operations Management (Quarter 4)
Germany in Europe (6 Classes Sporadically)
German (All Semester)