ARTNYC vs E3 Study Abroad Programs | Adam Bobbs

Prior to travelling to Germany for the E3 program, I had the incredible opportunity to participate in a study abroad program in New York City as part of the ARTNYC program. I was enrolled in ART 1001, and spent 10 days in New York visiting art museums, galleries, and studios. Personally, my brain is structured more towards less artistic things, but the chance to see famous artworks, such as Starry Night and American Gothic, as well as the works of emerging artists was incredible.

What I’ve found to be very interesting is the similarities and differences between E3 and ARTNYC. There are many obvious differences: E3 is three weeks, ARTNYC is 10 days; E3 is international, ARTNYC is in domestic; E3 is engineering, ARTNYC is art. However, other things have been different as well, such as group size. In New York, the program consisted of 10 students, but now I am in a group double that size. In Germany, nearly all meals are covered by the program fee and we typically always eat dinner as a group, while in New York dinner wasn’t provided. Another observation I’ve made is that E3 offers more cultural excursions, such as an upcoming tour of a concentration camp, as opposed to purely art activities during the day in New York.

This may sound like numerous differences, but the programs do have a considerable amount of similarities. Both programs offer accommodation in hostels or hostel-like hotels, mostly indicative of bunk beds and hall bathrooms. The teaching styles are also similar, usually teaching through experiences rather than class time. Also, we heavily utilize the public transportation system – something I have become quite acquainted to over this summer. But perhaps most importantly, each program is full of eager students, ready to meet new people, allowing you to enjoy a cultural immersion, while simultaneously gaining valuable knowledge through your participation in classes. I am tremendously grateful that I have the opportunity to enjoy both of these programs, if you are curious about what either of these programs are truly like, go on one – or both.