Year abroad - studying, choosing courses, etc

I'm in the middle of trying to choose what courses I want to study next year in France at university. Has anyone got any recommendations as to what are the best subjects to study abroad? I know it'll depend on the uni and the exact courses on offer but I'd just like a general idea of people's experiences. I'd like to do translation so I've been looking at the English department - I quite like the look of their literature courses as well but I wonder if they tend to discuss thing in English or French... in my literature classes at uni here we dicuss things in English mostly which I guess is good for Erasmus people coming over here.

Reply 1

Da Bachtopus

12

What year of the Licene would you be following? Would you be given a place based on an exchange agreement with your own university, or would you be enrolling independently in September?

In any case, expect to be disappointed. Undergraduate education in France is dreadfully neglected. I'd suggest that you don't try to get too much out of your time spent in the uni besides French practice: spend your time working on your French language, and then rather than worrying about the courses, just do lots of independent reading which will be useful for your degree. That is, of course, unless you have to credit these courses back home, but I didn't think that UK universities really understood how this post-Bologna stuff works anyway.

Reply 2

fireit

OP

Da Bachtopus

What year of the Licene would you be following? Would you be given a place based on an exchange agreement with your own university, or would you be enrolling independently in September?

In any case, expect to be disappointed. Undergraduate education in France is dreadfully neglected. I'd suggest that you don't try to get too much out of your time spent in the uni besides French practice: spend your time working on your French language, and then rather than worrying about the courses, just do lots of independent reading which will be useful for your degree. That is, of course, unless you have to credit these courses back home, but I didn't think that UK universities really understood how this post-Bologna stuff works anyway.

I'm doing Erasmus through my uni and apparently can take courses from years 1 and 2 of the licence.

Yeah, I do have to get a certain amount of credits to pass my year I think. Also I don't think that taking extra French language courses are counted which is a shame though I think it's different with something like translation.

Reply 3

Da Bachtopus

12

fireit

I'm doing Erasmus through my uni and apparently can take courses from years 1 and 2 of the licence.

Yeah, I do have to get a certain amount of credits to pass my year I think. Also I don't think that taking extra French language courses are counted which is a shame though I think it's different with something like translation.

Which university are you going to attend? L1 and L2 courses are I think largely equivalent (I thikn you can credit them in whatever order you like, normally -- probably a number of L3 courses too.)

Each course is evaluated with two grades: the first is for a piece of written work handed in (or sometimes a "TD", ie. a work done in class); the second is for an exam at the end of each semester. Sometimes there are mid-semester exams. Depending on the subject, the exam format is most likely to be a "Dissertation française", in which you have 4 hours or so to write a long essay on an open question, and are expected to:

1) Establish a "problématique", ie. the terms of the question and how you're going to discuss it, what its importance is, &c.
2) THESES: you give 3 points in defence of the view you actually agree with.
3) ANTITHESES: you give 3 strawman arguments for the opposition. (I say this because I think this is massively artificial and absurd, even though it's *supposed* to make you think about the question from both sides)
4) SYNTHESIS: you pretend this has something to do with Hegel, and basically try to show how you can still defend the view defended in the THESES whilst getting around the ANTITHESES.

If you do not write to this plan you *WILL BE PENALIZED*. All essays are expected to follow this structure. Do not ask me why, just believe me, and deviate at your own risk.

Expect massive, massive class sizes, no attention from teachers, fellow students who probably don't want to be there (all the best students do no go straight to uni: they go to the Prépa), and lots of long tests. You can probably get away with not turning up to a lot of classes, though. (Oh yea, classes will be POINTLESSLY LONG, since Maîtres de conférences are on a contrat to teach a certain number of hours annually, so they make classes 3hrs long or so in order to fulfill this obligation, despite the fact that everything could be said in 1hr much more concisely). Find out how you're meant to validate a course, whetehr you are expected to follow the reading list in the exam or not, and basically work out what you can get away with.

You are *so* going to be in for a shock when you realize what public universities are like.

Reply 4

yellowwdaisy

1

fireit

I quite like the look of their literature courses as well but I wonder if they tend to discuss thing in English or French... in my literature classes at uni here we dicuss things in English mostly which I guess is good for Erasmus people coming over here.

I was really set on finding a literature course abroad- Da Bachtopus gave me a lot of advice about that- basically its completely different to the english concept of academic literary study- know what you are getting

I think the forum I made was in 'international study'- id recommend you have a look

ps- make sure your university is as greve-free as possible- where I am at Montpellier- the students are literarally always on strike (about what is never clear)- lessons are more often than not cancelled- my friend who is on her year abroad here hasnt had classes for 3 weeks, and she's worried she might actually have to come back in may because she hasn't made up her 8 months. at least what counts for her is her dissertation (year abroad project)- people who need credits are pretty screwed (you can get it taken into account but I wouldn't want to be in that position anyway- your degree would suffer)

Reply 5

yellowwdaisy

1

Da Bachtopus

I'd suggest that you don't try to get too much out of your time spent in the uni besides French practice: spend your time working on your French language, and then rather than worrying about the courses, just do lots of independent reading which will be useful for your degree. That is, of course, unless you have to credit these courses back home, but I didn't think that UK universities really understood how this post-Bologna stuff works anyway.

yeah- this is what my friend said- the year abroad seems basically to be just about learning the language (and don't expect to be completely fluent after 8 months either). my friend is leaving early because she spends most of her time in her room reading books and watching french TV

Reply 6

Da Bachtopus

12

yellowwdaisy

yeah- this is what my friend said- the year abroad seems basically to be just about learning the language (and don't expect to be completely fluent after 8 months either). my friend is leaving early because she spends most of her time in her room reading books and watching french TV

They are on strike at the moment too! So not all classes are taking place. (I don't have important classes though as I am basically a research student)]\

I will delete some PMs so my inbox is available again.

Reply 7

yellowwdaisy

1

Da Bachtopus

They are on strike at the moment too! So not all classes are taking place. (I don't have important classes though as I am basically a research student)]\

I will delete some PMs so my inbox is available again.

thanks

Reply 8

fireit

OP

Wow, thanks so much for all that information Da Bachtopus! I wonder if you could tell me the levels of the grades you can get given - do they work it out by percentage? What grade to we need to get to get whatever credits worth the course is?

yellowwdaisy

I was really set on finding a literature course abroad- Da Bachtopus gave me a lot of advice about that- basically its completely different to the english concept of academic literary study- know what you are getting

I think the forum I made was in 'international study'- id recommend you have a look

ps- make sure your university is as greve-free as possible- where I am at Montpellier- the students are literarally always on strike (about what is never clear)- lessons are more often than not cancelled- my friend who is on her year abroad here hasnt had classes for 3 weeks, and she's worried she might actually have to come back in may because she hasn't made up her 8 months. at least what counts for her is her dissertation (year abroad project)- people who need credits are pretty screwed (you can get it taken into account but I wouldn't want to be in that position anyway- your degree would suffer)

How do the literature courses differ?

Urgh, that's a bit worrying about not getting your credits! My year abroad is marked by an oral exam as well but as you say, your degree can still be affected by something like that. I would think that universities here would take something like that seriously into account though as it would surely affect a lot of students badly and it's something that is really beyond our control.

Reply 9

yellowwdaisy

1

fireit

Wow, thanks so much for all that information Da Bachtopus! I wonder if you could tell me the levels of the grades you can get given - do they work it out by percentage? What grade to we need to get to get whatever credits worth the course is?

How do the literature courses differ?

Urgh, that's a bit worrying about not getting your credits! My year abroad is marked by an oral exam as well but as you say, your degree can still be affected by something like that. I would think that universities here would take something like that seriously into account though as it would surely affect a lot of students badly and it's something that is really beyond our control.

as I said- Da Bachtopus covered it in a forum I made (international study- I'll try and find it)
btw- it wouldn't be too serious if your courses were interrupted- the point of the year abroad is to learn french- and TV & reading is actually just as good as going to lectures for that (althogh I know it would be nice to actually be able to study)

Reply 10

fireit

OP

yellowwdaisy

as I said- Da Bachtopus covered it in a forum I made (international study- I'll try and find it)
btw- it wouldn't be too serious if your courses were interrupted- the point of the year abroad is to learn french- and TV & reading is actually just as good as going to lectures for that (althogh I know it would be nice to actually be able to study)