An education

       

      In France, being able to go to the university (with the condition of having the baccalauréat) is often seen as normal, unremarkable. Then you tend to ask yourself why acing the high school exams during your last year is such a big deal, as it will “only” open the doors to higher education, i.e universities, grandes écoles, etc. Thus, since most people continue their education, being a student would seem to be an obvious and natural thing. Before going to America, I already knew that most of the average individuals did not have the chance to have an education that would go beyond high school, for the price of higher education is extremely expensive. 

Newspapers available for free every day at the dining halls: USA Today, New York Times, The Boston Globe.

            The French education gladly opens its arms to students, given an annual fee that covers studies and compulsory social security. Basically, in the United-States, money is the key if you want to access good colleges and universities for the annual cost of education is exorbitant. Although Middlebury College is need-blind in terms of finances, you can definitely tell the Middkids are not poor. I have always studied in public schools, hence being used to the blending of types (in terms of ethnicity, wealth, etc). For instance, in a French university, you tend to have a little bit of everything: well-off people as well as not-so-rich but below-average people. Receiving financial aid, mostly grants is common. 

My desk! Looking quite clean.

 So when back to school occurred at Middlebury College, all I could see was very different people. They look…well-off, rich. Everybody wears high-brands, carries a Mac (MacBook Pro, naturally), has high-tech devices and…wear Hunter boots when it starts raining a bit. One of my first thoughts was: “Gee, is everyone rich or what?”. Of course, seldom do you expect very poor students attending a private elite liberal arts college but people with big means.

I like to think these books are also for my personal knowledge...

 Not only are people quite well-off here but they are also incredibly smart. At school, I usually ranked first, but until now, never did I feel challenged. The individualism and an incentive towards personal thinking may be the reasons why. Contrary to my home university, where in class, you could just sit and write down every word said by the teacher  then leave at the end, here it is definitely not possible.  First, because of the size of the class. In France, there are two hundreds of students in a lecture while a module would generally be attended by fifty students. Yes, fifty. In a module. How can you work and participate well in these conditions? How can a teacher deal with fifty people, that is definitely too much to manage correctly! Isn’t it because the government keeps cutting teacher jobs by deciding not to renew jobs that are left by those retiring? 

Strawberry begonia that I got thanks to a free plants-giveaway.

          Anyway, this is totally different at Middlebury College for a class is made of no more than fifteen students in average. Thus, this is a much more beneficial environment to learn in. Inasmuch there are few people, we are bound to participate more for hiding in the back of the classroom is less than possible. In these favorable conditions, we are more likely to blossom in terms of personal-thinking. Indeed, most classes involve discussions where students have to express their opinion regarding a specific subject. Individual thinking is more emphasized, whereas in France, the key is to mechanically learn by heart. Furthermore, no one ever asked questions during my studies in France, for no one dared to. This is something that makes me wonder why, for here, everybody does ask questions whenever something has not been understood. Nobody hesitates in doing so. I have noticed that students seem to be much more passionate about their studies, for they do work, do the readings and therefore, have a lot of things to share. Such a huge difference with what I have always known: people bored out of their minds.

All the books I had to buy for...this semester.

 Back to the subject of the cost of studies, I can definitely say I feel very privileged to be an Exchange Student, for under the agreement made with my home university, the host college covers the cost of my tuition, board and lodging. Wondering how much? Take the price of an annual fee in a Master’s Degree and multiply it by 135. In comparison, the cost of the books bought for ONE semester is equivalent to the amount paid for TWO semesters of studies. Crazy, isn’t it? While buying books is only recommended for classes in France, here having them is absolutely essential for the well-being of your studies. Not such a surprise since most of the knowledge is to be found there.

View from inside the library.

I have realized how incredible the opportunity to study abroad is. Not only does it provide an unique experience in terms of language, culture and education, but it also shows you a whole different environment. As I have always travelled even since I could walk, the cultural divergences of countries do not surprise me, but when changing the perspective from a mere tourist to a student who gets to live the American life, this is way more fulfilling. Being able to experience a different education system is so refreshing from what I know in France. Sure, things are definitely not easy here, but it is part of the challenge that life provides.

(Home)work or die.

 As I have just finished writing my reaction paper for tomorrow, I am more inclined to write about the differences in terms of homework between Middlebury College and my university. Having to read one hundred pages of paramount interest about the causes of the English revolution (1529-1642) to then write a reaction paper is definitely tricky. Although I technically had two days to do that, you have to take into account that I have other school-related things to do and that I am not used to having to work every single day. Curious about why? Continue reading!

Very comfy seats, perfect for arduous readings...

 The French university system, where the workload is quite light, has always enabled me not to burden myself with homework. As a very good and serious student, I have always managed to ace my exams. Doesn’t it sound contradictory and paradoxical? What I mean is that at my home university, you do not have to revise your lesson every day so as to be able to follow the class, even though it is obviously advised. The ideal thing would be to work regularly so as to acquire knowledge progressively so that when the exams arrive, you only have to revise. Something that a studious student like me did…not. Every time, I would do last-minute revisions, i.e a week before (after a semester consisting in chilling out and playing video games) so as to pass my exams.  This entailed me spending hours and hours on intense and exhausting revisions (or learning…) till late at night (or very early in the morning). Of course, every time I would tell myself that I learned from that bitter lesson and that therefore next time, it would not be like that. Naturally, I was wrong! But the good thing is that I have always done well in my studies.

Quite the view, eh?

 Nevertheless, asserting that doing so at Middlebury College and succeeding would be regarded as a joke that everyone would laugh at. It did not come as a surprise for I already knew what to expect, but still, it is not easy. Here, if I were to spend all my nights playing Plants VS Zombies (one of the few games that can be run on my netbook) and merely leaf through my expensive-as-hell books, I would end up drowning in a sea full of issues ready to take me down. So far, I do not think I have ever worked that much on a daily-basis and unfortunately, this is only the beginning, folks. Far are the times when I came back home and spent my evening catching up with my boyfriend via Skype and playing Left 4 Dead 1 & 2 and Borderlands with him. I am not saying that chilling out is out of the question but doing so way too much is definitely not affordable. Moreover, as I am completely immersed in a English-speaking environment, I have to work more because of the language barrier (fortunately, my English is fluent but still, it does require more work compared to an American student).

I have noticed that learning is very different here. I have always been used to learning from the teachers through their lectures. People passively attend the classes and write down what is being said, whereas here, active participation is a must. You cannot just hide in class. To be able to take part in discussions, you must have knowledge. Where does it come from? In my opinion, not so much from the teacher, but mostly from the books you have to read. Then every student has to discuss topics and issues raised in their readings. Then again, it depends on the course, for the lectures given in my accounting classes do bring knowledge but for the most part, you have to go and seek it.

Orientation Week: the brain-teaser-friendly quest for courses.

Welcome to Middlebury! Population: 8183 habitants.

At Middlebury College, Orientation Week enables students to make up their minds and choose their courses over hundreds of possibilities in various departments. It was the first time I encountered this kind of system which is peculiar to liberal arts colleges. Over this week, the question that one could hear the most was “what courses are you taking?” How astonished was I when people would tell me they chose completely different subjects. For instance, choosing psychology, computer sciences, Hebrew and Greek history altogether is completely plausible. For someone like me who has always been used to register for an already-defined set of courses, that was one drastic change to observe.

Unfortunately for me, I could not enjoy such academic freedom.  As an Exchange Student, although I am studying at Middlebury College, I remain a student from Université Sorbonne Nouvelle – Paris 3. As a consequence, I am subjected to constraints that require me to take courses which match the ones taught at my home university. And here comes the challenging part. Not only did I have to pick up courses which content resembles that of my university’s, but I also had to make sure there were no time schedules conflicts. Another troublesome element lied in the fact that obviously, not 100%-matching courses could be found, but sometimes finding if only one slightly similar course was a hell of a task. When you do, you then have to ask for the approval of your home university’s supervisor and coordinator (and technically wait for their response). In my case, my pedagogical contract established four subjects for this semester:

-          ECON 220: American Economic History

-          ECON 0316: Corporate Finance & Accounting

-          ECON 0444: International Trade

-          CHNS 201: Intermediate Chinese

Le Château

       Naturally, nothing went as expected. In our information packets, we had a sheet indicating the courses we were pre-registered in. Much obliged, I was negatively surprised I was enrolled in one hundred-level courses: Topics in Socio-cultural Anthropology and Intro to Microeconomics. What, what, what? Panic and stress ensued as usual, my bad. In my quest for further information, I found out that the International Programs service could not register me ahead of time for my courses are advanced-level (not surprising since I have finished my undergraduate studies…) and therefore required the professors' approval. It makes sense. Wonderful, another quest to add to my journal: to go see the faculty members in order to obtain their signature for the add-card. 500xp if done (I miss playing RPGs…sic). The add-what? Simply put, it is a green card in which students have to indicate the course they wish to enroll in and then get it signed by the professor and academic advisor. At Middlebury College, you can add courses in a limited period of that ends two weeks after back-to-school, and dropping them is possible until five weeks after. Great system, isn’t it? That way, you can audit several classes you still are undecided about and get a sneak preview. What an awesome option for people who cannot make up their mind, like me.

The Window - McCardell Bicentennial Hall

                As I wanted to take a Chinese course, I took the placement exam that consisted of a 200 words-essay and an interview. Aiming at the two hundred-level courses, I was quite confident I would not be put in beginners. After all, how could I, having learned Chinese for three years (yet only two years of grammar classes). The tricky part was the oral examination. Although the teacher was nice, I was struggling when it came to finding the right words. That is what happens when you do not practise a foreign language. How could I, anyway? I do not have any Chinese background and no one to talk in Chinese too – apart from myself, however I do not think this is the most fabulous idea.

A cosy place to study and whatnot - McCardell Bicentennial Hall

 The results were displayed the next day and I was advised to take…CHNS 0102. 102? As in, beginner? Indeed. I could not help feeling a tad ashamed for after six semesters of Chinese, I was judged ready to take a first-level course for J-term? When put into perspective, that should not be surprising. Middlebury College is particularly well-known for the high quality of its language courses that involve intensive lessons (the double amount of time that I had at my university) taught by a highly-qualified faculty staff. 

Davis Family Library

                Let’s continue with never-ending surprises. When I went to see the professor of International Trade, who was willing to take me in her course, she immediately warned me with the following:

“Have you studied calculus before? Econometrics? Because you’ll need to know them in order to write a research paper.”

Calculus? Eco-what? Research paper? Help, I do not have a clue of what she is talking about! She showed me the types of exercises that would be done in class, and even though she suggested me to take a lower-level course (ECON 0340: International Economy: a Political Approach), I was still not reassured by the presence of all these nasty mathematical formulas. After all, all the courses in Economics I have had never dealt with mathematics, let alone statistics and variables. My field of studies being Foreign Languages applied to Economics and Law, the approach was definitely not mathematic-based. Instead, it focused more on understanding how firms dealt with the economy in a global context, in theory and practice. My skull was heavily hammered in surprise. Change of plans required! (Journal quest updated!) I decided to turn to the Department of Political Science, hoping it would open its heavy gates for the hopeless soul that I am. It did. By the end of the week, I decided to take the following courses:

-          PSCI 324: The Political Development of Western Europe

-          ECON 220: American Economic History

-          ECON 316: Corporate Finance and Accounting

Two of them are college-writing courses (ah, so that is what CW stands for!) but it cannot be worse than dealing with mathematics. In the end, I told myself that if not all my courses are approved by my home university, I would still have had the privilege and the incredible opportunity to not only stay in the US for an academic year, with all its benefits, but also to experience the education system at an elite private liberal arts college. I was a lucky (or rather, worthy and well-deserved one) person among a few and even if it meant re-doing a year at my home university, studying abroad was still an unique rewarding and fulfilling academic, cultural as well as personal experience.

Cosy yet chic atmosphere, perfect for study purposes, isn't it?

Early Arrival 2011 : explore, connect, create.

Starr Hall

As an International student, I got to arrive at Middlebury College earlier than regular students. As this environment is totally new, we consequently need more time to adapt.
Early Arrival occurred for a week, and the least I can say is that there was barely any time to get some rest! On the one hand, it was a good thing because this way, we got to explore the campus in details, to be in the know about essential information and also, to have fun by getting to know the other international students. On the other hand, this busy daily schedule was so intense that when it ended, you were quite pleased it is over! The activities would start from 9am, only to end around 10pm. I honestly did not have any time to unpack, so my luggage was rotting on the floor, taking quite a lot of space. When thinking about it, I believe I was reluctant to unpack too. Indeed, this would mean moving on to a new chapter, putting an end to what I have always been used to. Unpacking meant to remove my stuff to put them in a new environment, which I was eventually ready to do after two weeks. I know, it took me some time.

My bed was already covered with a pillow and sheets!

At that point, my room was pretty...empty.

             The first day, we took a van in order to go to town, where we opened a bank account as well as going shopping a bit, and by that, I mean buying essential items, such as hygiene products. Remember, my luggage had still not arrived! The night I arrived at Middlebury College, I put a lot of energy into finding out what was going on with my luggage. The lazy young woman working at the counter did give me the number of the US Airways counter, but this proved to be useless. When I called, nobody replied. Even though it was a bad start, I did some research online (there was still no wifi back then but my roommate lent me her cable, how nice) and found the number of the baggage service center. After several calls and a lot of patience, i.e, thirty minutes, I finally hung up and felt better. The workers were patient and willing to help me. How relieved I was to be told that the luggage did arrive and that it would be shipped the next day. It indeed did the next afternoon. Although I am not a materialist, I have to say I was relieved to find this big blue-navy square-shaped luggage, heavy as hell. As my room is located in the 4^th floor, it would have therefore taken me hours to carry it upstairs (three floors to climb). Fortunately my roommate was nice again and helped me in this tough task.

                In brief, the Early Arrival consisted of information sessions regarding life at Middlebury and most importantly, sessions with the International Student and Scholar Service that provided us a lot of absolutely important elements to know about our visa status, student employment, etc. The rest of the activities were social ones which aimed at making people get to know each other better through diverse events: dance parties, Scavenger Hunt, movie screening…

Ross Dining Hall

                This week of adaptation proved to be useful for at the end of that period, I felt way more familiar with the campus and its surroundings, whereas I used to be completely lost at the beginning. Everything seemed so gigantic and majestuous, which was no wonder, because the concept of a campus is typically American. Universities in France do have student housing but they mostly do not involve anything else than a place to sleep. I have seldom heard of any activities at my home university, and the notion of community is non-existent compared to here. Students are divided into several Commons (think about Harry Potter and the different houses: well, it is a bit like that). During their four years of life at the college, their designed Commons and the members will be like a second family. In public French universities, there was no such thing. My student life could be summed up in a few words: go to school (quite a struggle with these unsteady public transportation), attend classes then come back home. I will provide further details in my next posts about the differences between my home university and the American college I am at. Naturally, divergences are expected when all you have known so far are public schools, and that out of the blue you land in a private elite liberal arts college.

The Memorial Old Chapel

Mccullough Center

                Anyway, Early Arrival was a nice start and everybody got to know each other a bit better. I was surprised and confused when people kept asking me if I was from UWC. The hell is UWC? I learned it stood for United World Colleges, an international group of schools. People from all around the globe get to study in international high schools and level up by going to college while being granted a scholarship. That is why many international students already seemed to know each other. It all makes sense! The funny thing being the fact that 90% of international students come from UWC.

In the next post, you shall find learn more about Orientation Week!

Starr Hall (I live in that side)