Infographic by Beatrice G. Esguerra

The Junior Term Abroad (JTA) program is arguably the most well-known and sought after student mobility program offered by Ateneo. Compared to the Summer Term Abroad program and study tours, the JTA covers an entire semester and offers a wider range of partner universities to study in.

The general consensus among JTA alumni is that the program is ultimately rewarding, even with the high financial costs and stringent application process that come with it. For them, the opportunity to study in a foreign university for a full semester and the chance to live in another country for an extended period of time make it worth it in the end.

However, little has been said of the day-to-day experiences of these students. This begs the question: What does it mean to actually live abroad and serve as a representative of Ateneo and the Philippines to foreign universities?

Solo flight

The prospect of living in another country is one of the more intimidating parts of the JTA program, especially for students who have no experience of being dormers. While uncommon, there are instances of students with no choice but to live alone due to restrictions in lodging, or being the only one assigned to a given university. Despite this, students still take the chance to grow from these experiences.

“It was my first time to go out of the country [and] my first time living alone,” says diplomacy and international relations senior Beloved Madlangbayan, who attended Chung-Ang University in South Korea. “I learned a lot during my stay there… But even for the more practical side of life.”

The level of self-sufficiency required of students casts a stark contrast to the familial setting here in the Philippines. “[The] students in general, like the Europeans… they’re very independent. We like going out with our friends a lot [in the Philippines, while] they really like things on their own,” explains Lia Alejo (AB Dip-IR ‘18), who attended Lille Catholic University in France.

This need is made more apparent as students have to dedicate a significant amount of time to cooking and laundry—household chores that some overlook back at home. For those who went to Europe, doing groceries and cooking became more of a necessity, as it was not economically feasible to eat out all the time.

Aside from this, the language barrier that is present in every country is an additional challenge that entails greater adjustment and patience from students.

“Although we were being given French classes there, it’s not enough because people there don’t really respond well [if you’re not fluent at it],” says Alejo.

The difficulty this presents is more evident in the school setting, as the students have to adjust to their professors; many of whom tend to speak in their native language. “We had to sit in lectures and try to understand from some words or context clues what the professor was talking about,” says information design senior Dyan Villegas, who attended the Cuenca campus of University of Castilla-La Mancha in Spain.

Suzzane Andaya, Office of International Relations Coordinator for Outbound Exchange Students, acknowledges these challenges and attributes them to the cultural differences between the countries. JTA students are required to attend cultural sensitivity talks, country briefings with foreign professors, and information sessions with past JTA students to help prepare them for their stay abroad.

Despite these challenges, there are certain day-to-day aspects that were made easier by the culture and practices of the countries these students stayed in. One common sentiment echoed by all The GUIDON’s interviewees is the ease of commuting due to efficient public transportation.

“The ease of transportation […] allowed us to explore other cities of Germany more easily. The trains are always on time, as in down to the second, and are very reliable as well,” says Cesca Wong (BS ME ‘18), who attended Munich Business School.

Another aspect that impressed Colemn Labrador (BS ME ‘18), who attended the Mahidol University International College in Thailand, was the efficiency of other public services. “Consular services were fast, and my friends told me services in public hospitals were also responsive and quick,” he says.

International standards

The program accredits up to 15 units, which is a considerably lighter load than a regular semester. This, coupled with the fact that the grades earned abroad do not count towards the cumulative QPI, has resulted in the JTA program being viewed as risk-free when compared to a regular semester.

However, failing just one class means failing the entire program, and the student would have to retake all the units accredited during the rest of their stay in Ateneo.

Apart from simply wanting to make the most out of one’s studies in a foreign university, students also have to deal with the reality that they serve as representatives of Ateneo, and therefore have a greater impetus to excel.

This belief is shared by Andaya as well. Partner universities have come to regard Ateneans as outstanding students, and Andaya believes the high standard set by Ateneo is what drives them. “Nakasanayan na ng mga estudyante na laging outstanding dapat, so nagiging natural na… mas mataas yung standards (Students have gotten used to always meeting outstanding standards, so high standards become natural to them).”

Therefore, what differs from each JTA student is the amount of external pressure placed upon them by their professors and foreign classmates. Wong knew the expectations of studying in Munich Business School, as it has been a partner university of the Ateneo for several years now. “The professors expected us to perform well since every batch of students did excellently on their research projects and exams,” she exclaims.

However, for students in other countries, the lighter workload of JTA and the less demanding attitude of professors contributed to the notion that there was no pressure at all, which lies in stark contrast to the norm in the Ateneo. “The academic attitude of the students wasn’t the same at all as in Ateneo, or maybe because the environment wasn’t that strict,” affirms Villegas.

The perceived lax nature of foreign universities can also be attributed to the differences in teaching styles. While the Ateneo requires a multitude of requirements in each subject and three hours per class in a week, JTA students noticed that there are fewer hours in a week per class and only one or two requirements for each.

National plight

As JTA students interact with foreigners, conversations about one’s own country become inevitable. In our case, as the sociopolitical climate of the Philippines changes, shifts in perception towards Filipinos also affect the experiences of the students in some shape or form.

Given her major in diplomacy and international relations, Alejo discussed Philippine politics in her classes. Her stay in France happened around the time of the height of the Spratly Islands dispute, so as she engaged in a debate with her Chinese classmates, she felt the friction and struggle despite being far away from home. “Since all our views were from the Filipino point of view, when you’re given a spotlight to a different arena, [you] become more open even if you have those beliefs,” she says.

The current national situation also gave other students opportunities to reflect on how we Filipinos view our own past.

For instance, the JTA fall term of 2016 coincided with the burial of Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. “I realized that we Filipinos are so easy to forget what our history is, so we are condemned to repeat it,” says Wong. It was hard to come to grips with this after learning about Nazi Germany in her classes. This is true especially with the way the Germans acknowledge and discuss the issue in order to prevent it from happening again.

Having spent a lot of time with other international students, Labrador felt compelled to clear up any misconceptions about the Philippines. The general consensus among his foreign classmates in JTA was that it was unsafe in the Philippines, due partly to the war on drugs and extra-judicial killings happening in the country.

For Madlangbayan, listening to a North Korean defector’s life story struck a chord within her. “It encouraged me to hope and keep fighting for those in this country who constantly struggle and are oppressed like those in North Korea,” she says.

In certain cases, the language barrier becomes cumbersome to the point that students find it difficult to hold conversations about the Philippines.

Parting words

It is difficult to say if students who are unable to afford or who opt not to go on JTA are at an academic disadvantage compared to JTA students. The usual sightseeing aspect aside, what JTA students actually learn from their classes boils down to the learning environment they are placed in.

For Alejo, her main takeaway from her studies in France was the adjustment to the less demanding and more independently oriented nature of her classes, while at the same time, the maintenance of the same quality of studying as if one were still in Ateneo. “Natuto rin ako sa style nila… Halatang mas chill, pero at the same time, I learned as much (I learned their style. It was observably more relaxed, but at the same time, I learned as much).”

On the other hand, Wong learned about the professionalism and discipline German classes adhere to from her experience of being three minutes late to her first class. “We never showed up late to any class until the end of the semester.”

With all the varying experiences in different countries and universities, the success of one’s JTA simply boils down to the personal satisfaction of the student. Yet, despite all this, the amount of insights shared by these students is a testament to their personal growth as well.