Name: Ampson Hagan
Home University: The Ohio State University
Hometown: Silver Spring, MD
Duration of Time Abroad: Full Academic Year (9 months)
Reason for studying abroad:
I want to learn French. In fact, I’ve wanted to learn French ever since I was in high school. I started taking French language courses as a freshman in college and I haven’t looked back. Of course, I went to school as a Molecular Genetics major, but I added French as a second degree program later. After this academic year, I will have enough credits for an undergraduate degree in Molecular Genetics and another undergraduate degree in French studies.
Goals for Study Abroad Program:
After this year, I hope to speak French very well. I was placed into Intermediate 1 language courses and I hope to improve upon that during my stay. My professors at OSU have all said that a full year in Paris will vastly improve my French and I don’t want to come back empty-handed. A second language is something I’ve wanted for a while now. My father speaks four languages including English!!!! I only speak one. France has been an interest of mine for years and the ISA program has helped me discover it. The group went to the Loire Valley and Versailles already and the next trip is to Normandy. I want to discover more than just Paris while I’m here.
Classes started three weeks ago. As a student only interested in French language, all my courses are in French and French language courses. I am taking a French language course three days a week, a French writing course once a week, and a French oral course once a week for this first semester. Classes are starting to get a little harder, or maybe it’s just the weather. Not sure yet.
Personal Interests:
HUGE sports fan. I check ESPN about a hundred times a day. I am a huge basketball fan, and watch the NBA and NCAA basketball religiously. Not getting any in Paris though. I love the NFL and college football (big Ohio State fan) and I have been playing fantasy football for the past 4 years now. Of course, I’m not on the internet all day; I actually like to play basketball and football, as well as tennis and anything else I can get into. I’ve been taking a lot of pictures since I’ve been in Paris and I’m trying to convince myself that photography is a good hobby I could get into. Big music fan as well, as I’ve been to w rock opera and a concert since I’ve been here. I don’t think of myself as a movie buff, but I love to go to the movies. I have to be honest; I think the District of Columbia is my hobby. I grew up in the DC area and I read DC blogs everyday, the Washington Post everyday, and anything and everything DC. I can’t get enough of that place. Whenever I was bored, I would go hang out at the botanical gardens or sit on the Capitol steps and gaze at the Washington Monument. I like traveling as well! This being my first time in Europe, I plan on going to see places I’ve, up and ‘til now, only read about. Surfing!!!! I’ve wanted to surf for a few years now, but I never tried it! And the small fact that I didn’t learn how to swim until this year kept me from catching surf as well. Minor detail. I’m going to practice swimming some more and get on a surf board before this stay is said and done. Promise.