Which Uni for French?

Original post by bowerbadger

Hi there, I'm English but living in France and doing my IB. I want to read French at a UK uni, but I'm not that keen on literature and poetry based courses.

Given that I've lived in France for 10 years, I'm obviously bi-lingual. Hoping for 32/33 overall, but may only get c. 29/30.

1. Which French courses are more language or cultural (rather than literature) based?

2. It does annoy me intensely ( :mad:

) that some universities in the UK do not understand how difficult the IB is in comparison with A levels. Do you know which places tone down their IB offers?

3. Should I cruise through a French degree given my past or will my background count for nothing?

4. Finally, I play for a men's cricket team down here and want to represent my uni......what is the standard like at uni level?

Thanks ever so much

1. I don't know and nobody else will know either - you're going to have to look through each university to find a degree which matches your interests. I have never seen a French degree which didn't involve at least some literature.

2. No.

3. You can, assuming you find a university that is willing to take you. The better universities will read your application and deduce that your intention is to try and get an easy degree and will likely reject you, so you need to ask yourself, is it really worth spending so much money on a degree that won't give you any new skills and is from a less than prestigious university?

4. No idea, again, research individual universities.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 2

FionaMG

11

Original post by bowerbadger

Hi there, I'm English but living in France and doing my IB. I want to read French at a UK uni, but I'm not that keen on literature and poetry based courses.

Given that I've lived in France for 10 years, I'm obviously bi-lingual. Hoping for 32/33 overall, but may only get c. 29/30.

1. Which French courses are more language or cultural (rather than literature) based?

2. It does annoy me intensely ( :mad:

) that some universities in the UK do not understand how difficult the IB is in comparison with A levels. Do you know which places tone down their IB offers?

3. Should I cruise through a French degree given my past or will my background count for nothing?

4. Finally, I play for a men's cricket team down here and want to represent my uni......what is the standard like at uni level?

Thanks ever so much

Hi.
I can't help you with cricket or IB offers, but as far as a university with a non-literature-based course is concerned, you could take a look at East Anglia. They offer a wide range of modules that focus on culture, contemporary issues and linguistics. They have two courses "Translation, Media and Modern Language/s" and "Translation and Interpreting with Modern Language Double Honours" on which "We welcome native speakers of French or Spanish onto this programme". (Quote is taken from the relevant faculty's prospectus).
This is something you will need to watch out for when researching potential unis because at many you will be barred from taking French because of your (near) native standard in the language. Be sure and check directly with each uni you are interested in before wasting one of your choices by applying for a course that you cannot be admitted to.

Hope this helps. Good luck in your search. :smile:

Reply 3

OP

Many thanks for your reply Fiona. I would prefer to focus on one that has sections on history, economics, culture, politics as well as the language part, as opposed to more literature based modules - so I appreciate your heads up.

I think Snufkin took the hump for some reason, but I've had one chat with the Prof at Nottingham and that went really well and she said I'd be perfect for the course as I'd maybe add a fresh angle with personal experiences etc. Looked a great campus too - though Exeter may get the nod in terms of both campus and cricket!

I guess Snufkin must be going to Oxbridge to look down on such "less prestigious universities".

Reply 4

Original post by bowerbadger

Many thanks for your reply Fiona. I would prefer to focus on one that has sections on history, economics, culture, politics as well as the language part, as opposed to more literature based modules - so I appreciate your heads up.

I think Snufkin took the hump for some reason, but I've had one chat with the Prof at Nottingham and that went really well and she said I'd be perfect for the course as I'd maybe add a fresh angle with personal experiences etc. Looked a great campus too - though Exeter may get the nod in terms of both campus and cricket!

I guess Snufkin must be going to Oxbridge to look down on such "less prestigious universities".

I gave you an honest answer, I'm sorry if you didn't like what I had to say but it is the truth. I'm not going to Oxbridge.

Reply 5

OP

It is the "truth" though?

Is Exeter truthfully a - and I shall use your words here - "less than prestigious university"?

If so, then I guess there is no hope then for 99% of people in the studentroom as Exeter (and Nottingham) are in the top 1% of universities globally and Exeter lays claims to being in the top 10 in the UK.

Oh well, I guess the rest of us mere mortals shall have to live with that. Thanks for your input.

Reply 6

yabbayabba

17

I don't think I'm the only one who isn't too impressed that you're applying for a degree in French when you already speak the language. Yes, it's not all about learning the language but the fact you've lived in France gives you a hugely unfair advantage over everybody else. Plus, why would you bother wasting 9k a year on a degree just to get easy marks? If you want to get easy marks wouldn't it make more sense to do a degree in English in France? People wouldn't necessarily know you are English (unless your name is very English) and it would look less suspicious considering you're applying from a French school.

You'll obviously excel at French oral, and probably French writing as you've been educated in France - but you'll have no advantage when it comes to the cultural modules. There won't be that many courses that don't involve some literature of some sort really.

For the rest of your questions, you'll just have to do some research.

Reply 7

OP

Thanks Yabba. I think you make some good comments.

It's not about being "unfair" though is it? It's not a competition, per se.

The way I look at it, University is a passport to a graduate job. After that, it's down to your own effectiveness at work. Ultimately, that is the aim. In the interim, yes one learns about one's course at uni, but also one learns about life, independence and experience a unique social environment. As you rightly point out, I'll still learn about culture, history, theatre, politics, economics and, of course, literature, so it will be anything but easy. I may have an advantage on the oral and aural parts, but that will be minimal in the bigger picture.

I think that the only thing I took umbrage to in the original post was that I would be attending a "less than prestigious university". Firstly I don't consider Exeter and Nottingham to be poor universities, but secondly it did sound awfully condescending.

Reply 8

yabbayabba

17

Well it's not really fair for the other students is it really. Plus, people will wonder what on earth you're doing there if you attend French oral classes gabbing away like a native. No, it's not a competition it's just about respect to your contemporaries that's all. It's also the cost - uni in France is a lot cheaper compared to the UK and if you see uni just as a passport to a graduate job and not about actual learning, just do it in France then for far less - that seems the most logical thing to me.

I don't get this whole learning about life, independence etc as an excuse to go to uni - you'll learn that anyway, regardless of whether you attend university or not. People have been doing this for centuries, 99% of them doing it without getting a degree at the end of it.

Reply 9

Original post by bowerbadger

I think that the only thing I took umbrage to in the original post was that I would be attending a "less than prestigious university". Firstly I don't consider Exeter and Nottingham to be poor universities, but secondly it did sound awfully condescending.

I didn't say anything about Exeter or Nottingham. I merely observed that the more prestigious universities in general do require students to study literature and they will be less likely to accept someone who is already fluent. Why do you have such a problem with that statement?

Like it or not, doing a degree in a language you already speak gives a bad impression. Both admissions tutors and future employers will likely assume you can't be bothered to work and will always take the easy way out.

Reply 10

Exceptional

Isn't the point of university to be challenged and developing new skills? Studying French when you're fluent seems a bit needless.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 11

OP

Factually incorrect Snufkin. Your precise words were, and I quote,

"on a degree that won't give you any new skills and is from a less than prestigious university?"

I shall learn in a plethora of new areas and I would suggest that most people would not consider Exeter and Nottingham to be less than prestigious universities. You clearly do think that they are less than prestigious and that is your prerogative.

But let's leave it there. Life is too short. I thank you for your input.

Reply 12

Original post by bowerbadger

Factually incorrect Snufkin. Your precise words were, and I quote,

"on a degree that won't give you any new skills and is from a less than prestigious university?"

I shall learn in a plethora of new areas and I would suggest that most people would not consider Exeter and Nottingham to be less than prestigious universities. You clearly do think that they are less than prestigious and that is your prerogative.

But let's leave it there. Life is too short. I thank you for your input.

For the last time, I did not mention Nottingham or Exeter. I have already explained why I said 'less than prestigious', I'm not going to say it again. And no, you won't learn any new skills - that is the point. :facepalm2:

Reply 13

Nitrogen

16

Original post by bowerbadger

Factually incorrect Snufkin. Your precise words were, and I quote,

"on a degree that won't give you any new skills and is from a less than prestigious university?"

I shall learn in a plethora of new areas and I would suggest that most people would not consider Exeter and Nottingham to be less than prestigious universities. You clearly do think that they are less than prestigious and that is your prerogative.

But let's leave it there. Life is too short. I thank you for your input.

He never said anything about Nottingham or Exeter :rolleyes:

Reply 14

Chuckle Brothers

Hogwarts #accioFrance

Reply 15

OP

That is precisely the point Nitrogen!

In his/her initial post, way before I even mentioned which university I was applying to, Snufkin made the patronising comment about a less prestigious uni. How did he/she know? I could have been going to Yale for all Snufkin knew at that stage!

Re-read his/her original post. In point 3 it was clearly stated that I would get rejected by "better universities" and it was implied that I would only get a degree from a "less prestigious university".

Reply 16

Chuckle Brothers

Original post by bowerbadger

That is precisely the point Nitrogen!

In his/her initial post, way before I even mentioned which university I was applying to, Snufkin made the patronising comment about a less prestigious uni. How did he/she know? I could have been going to Yale for all Snufkin knew at that stage!

Re-read his/her original post. In point 3 it was clearly stated that I would get rejected by "better universities" and it was implied that I would only get a degree from a "less prestigious university".

#BORING

Reply 17