Name: Jaquelin Hurst
Hometown: San Antonio, Texas
Age: 20
Relationship Status: Single
Grade: Sophomore
Major: English Writing and Rhetoric
How did you choose St. Edward’s?
I chose St. Edward’s because I chose Austin. The next thing I looked at was class size. I like small classes; I like getting to know my professors. I also love the campus; it’s beautiful. The landscaping is gorgeous.
What are you involved with on campus?
I used to take photos for Hilltop Views, the newspaper on campus. I’m also in Group X, classes that are held at the recreation center so you can work out with people. That was pretty cool. I’m also in a study abroad program.
What has that experience been like so far?
My experience has been very interesting, very fun, very tiring. I’ve learned a lot here about myself, about living independently, about how to get by in a country where you don’t speak the language. It’s a lot of hand signals. It’s hard, but it’s fun. It’s a lot of fun.
Where have you traveled so far?
In this trip, I’ve been to many cities in France: Nice, Annecy, Nantes, St. Malo, Normandy, and Paris, of course. Also Ancenis, where we got stuck on our way to Nantes. We got off at the wrong stop, and we were stuck in a random city. Yeah, that was fun. And then I went to Italy. I went to Rome. I’m about to go to London for five nights and then Amsterdam for five nights and then Barcelona for five nights.
Out of all the cities in France that you’ve been to, which is your favorite and why?
Definitely Nice; Nice was amazing. Partly probably because of the weather: it was the first city that we went to in a long time that had sun, and a beach, and it was so relaxing. When we got there, there was a carnival going on, which was really cool. We didn’t really expect that carnival to be there. There was a lot of confetti everywhere, and people. It was really good. Nice was so awesome.
What would you say to prospective study abroad students?
Learn your French before you get here. Budget more. Put more money aside than you think you’re going to need, because you’ll end up spending all of it plus more. It’s very expensive in Europe; the Euro is very expensive. Pretty much everything here is expensive. Of course you have limits in America, but you don’t want to limit yourself while you’re here. You want to have fun and spend all your money, so make sure you have that extra money to spend.
How would you describe yourself in one sentence?
I feel like I’m a different person every day. I’m still growing; I’m still learning about myself.