Franck Tabouring, an international student at UT, has an interesting story of how he came to America and found himself at the University of Tennessee. He is originally from Luxembourg, a tiny country in Western Europe surrounded by Germany, France and Belgium.

Tabouring is currently a senior. He is majoring in journalism and electronic media and following the news track.

"I always had a passion for news," Tabouring said. "When I would watch the news I would always want to tell my family and friends about what I saw."

He also commented that journalism is a very diverse field, which also makes it an attractive major.

Afer completing his education, Tabouring aims to fulfill his goals and dreams by working in the film industry.  He received experience in this field when he preformed freelance work for a local television station in Luxembourg.  Combined with working in film, he also wants to hold a position in the online journalism market.  He would like to report and edit for the Web.

Tabouring always wanted to come to the United States.

"It's a big nation where you have the opportunity to do whatever you want," he said.

Tabouring took his first trip to the United States in the summer of 2001.  While here, he spent time in Washington, D.C. and fell in love with New York.

Tabouring based his decision to study abroad in America upon his love for the English language, which he studied for six years, as well as his love for film. Though he had to make the choice between Great Britain and the United States, Tabouring chose the U.S. because "this is the place to be" if you want to be involved in the cinema world.

"Choosing the University of Tennessee was easy after clicking through hundreds of universities' Web sites," Tabouring said. The beautiful pictures of the campus immediately attracted him.

Finances were another aspect of the decision making that aided him in choosing UT. UT's international student fees were cheaper compared to those of West Coast schools.

"Luxembourg's financial aid system is a disaster," Tabouring stated. "The study abroad students in Luxembourg have nothing like what the students here have. They barely get anything." However, Tabouring said that such a poor system should not stop students from studying abroad.

Happy with his time spent at UT, Tabouring noted how different it is from his university in Luxembourg.

"UT is a real university, it's a new world, and it's bigger. Franck TabouringUT is a real university, it's a new world, and it's bigger," Tabouring declared.

He also explained that his university in Luxembourg resembles a high school.  It is the only university in the country and it is relatively young. He attended there for one year to earn a certificate in English studies. 

However, he disliked the fact that there were so many administration problems, boring classes and no opportunities. In reference to Luxembourg, he said, "I'm glad to be out of there. With the size and the educational aspect [of UT], you learn so much more here."

While he is well-adjusted to life in America, Tabouring still notices the many differences between Luxembourg and American culture. For instance, he said restaurant etiquette is extremely different. European restaurants do not open before 7 p.m.  Also, free refills do not exist in Europe.

Concerning university life, Tabouring said he was nervous to adjust to full English speaking classes. He also pointed out that everyday living standards between the two countries are vastly different.  In the U.S., there are more administrative issues to deal with, such as Social Security, getting credit to be able to rent and being able to buy a car.

Tabouring noted many differences in the general lifestyles of Luxembourg and Tennessee. While Knoxville and Luxembourg are similarly paced, the culture, values and history of the south are much different.

Tabouring said that one of the first things he noticed about Tennessee was the extreme amount of emphasis put upon religion. He said in Luxembourg there is one church that serves about 6,000 people, and here he can drive down the road and see five churches on one block.

"Only about 40 percent of Europeans really care about religion and are committed to it," Tabouring stated.  It shocked him to see people working 40 or more hours a week and only barely scrape by.

Concerning media in America, Tabouring said his least favorite aspect of it is the sensationalism.  For instance, he said the huge buzz around Sarah Palin's pregnant daughter was irrelevant and unnecessary. "I want to watch news about her platform, not her pregnant daughter," he said.

He also dislikes that there is limited coverage of international stories and he would like to see more time slots devoted to world news.  On the other hand, he appreciates the diversity found in American media. He said, "There are so many sources of media here. I can watch what I want, when I want, at any time.There are so many sources of media here. I can watch what I want, when I want, at any time. Franck Tabouring" He also praised the connectivity and locality of America's media.

Even though Luxembourg is surrounded by countries that historically had limited governments, it does not follow their tradition. Tabouring said, "The Luxembourg government has no involvement in the media. They are completely open and free and can cover anything they want."

Tabouring said he believes his career in journalism has more opportunities in the U.S. than in Luxembourg.

"It's hard to do journalism in Luxembourg when you have a degree in English," he joked. "Journalism in Luxembourg is not exciting at all; they cover the same stories every day."

He contunued, "My personal challenge is to learn as much as I can, and I can't do that in Luxembourg." He said you receive more money in Luxembourg to cover one story, but it is not appealing enough to make a career there. 

Franck Tabouring wishes to remain in America.  After graduating from UT, he plans to move to California to attend film school in San Francisco or Los Angeles.