University is an
almost-certain choice for most. Degrees are the minimum requirement for jobs in
an increasingly competitive working world. With rising tuition fees,
(unwelcome) changes courtesy of Brexit & uncertainty about the future,
plenty of people still make the decision that university is the next step in
life. The difficult decision? What to study & where.
Bonjour, je m’appelle
Faz! I studied French at the University of Warwick! How times have changed from
telling Monsieur Moore I played football
with my brother & went to the cinema to writing on my CV that I am a
French Studies graduate. How did I get there? In all honesty, I wasn’t sure
what degree I wanted to do in the first place. I toyed with the idea of
studying English, but there was an obvious first choice for the title of ‘I
studied English at Oxford’. Hint: it wasn’t me. I had dreams of travelling, &
I felt that a French degree would open so many doors for me. Another hint: it
did.
I hate grammar. It
seems like such a silly thing to say seeing as I studied a language for my
degree. But, I suppose it gives me even more of a right to say that proudly. Having
said that, I signed up for extra grammar seminars on top of the ones I was
obligated to attend. Perhaps I’m a sadomasochist, or perhaps I wanted to make
the most out of the tuition fees. The way I saw it, if I was going to pay my
university nine thousand pounds a year to make me fluent in French, I may as
well take on as many contact hours as I could. Even if it did make me hate
Mondays that little bit more. Pay attention, as this is the most valuable
lesson you will learn as a student. There are parts of your course that you
will love until the cows come home. And then there are parts of your course you
would sell your soul to the devil for if it meant you never had to do them
again. But that’s okay. It’s all part of student life. I’m sure no medical
student enjoys practicing a prostate examination, but remember the bigger picture.
You’re putting yourself through this because you have an endgame.
I’m independent &
I like it. Learning how to take care yourself is one of university’s biggest
lessons. Cooking isn’t just something for the ladies; it’s something we should
all know how to do. It’s survival. Don’t leave the task of nourishing yourself
in the hands of other people. Even perfecting that pasta dish is better than
running to mummy every weekend to stock up your freezer. Remember to change
your bedsheets & make sure you’ve separated your whites from your colours;
because when you need that white shirt for an important presentation & it’s
stained pink, you’ll have no-one to blame but yourself. It can be scary, the
onset of enormous responsibility. Don’t run from it. You’ll be a grown-up in
no-time.
Am I rambling? I
apologise if I am. It’s an occupational hazard of being a French student, you
see. A word of advice- when you are taught how to reference essays in your
first year, make sure you do not sleep through lectures because this is one
skill that you will need for every single one of those essays you write.
Learning it properly in first year will save you so much trouble when you get
to second year & those grades start to count towards your degree. Oh, &
for the love of God, do not put an all-nighter. But, spending all night in the
library is what students do! I hear you, & I call you out on this rubbish. Sometimes
desperation settles in, but don’t make a habit of it. Make a routine where you
sleep at a reasonable hour & wake up early instead. Your body will thank
you for it.
Decisions, decisions...
There are so many modules to choose from. But that’s a blessing itself; I never
felt the need to stick to just the one theme. My department was happy for me to
be as varied as I wanted to be. In fact, I even went as far as to spend a year
with the European Law department and study French… in French. That was one
rollercoaster of a ride where my friend & I would stay up until the small
hours of the morning debating who was responsible for the handicapped gentleman
who set a forest on fire. Of course, I quickly sussed out that I performed
better at history & literature even if I enjoyed watching French film
noir-esque films as part of my studies. It’s a perk of French at Warwick.
Vive La France! This
is the President of the Warwick French Society here. I led an academic society
& of course, there were French films clubs, as well as sessions where you
could practice your oral (this joke will never get old, at least not for me). But
hey, in the spirit of revolutions & uprisings, this bunch of Arts students
know how to party. We went to Paris every year & we dressed up for fancy
balls where we had jazz bands & three course meals. We sat around a table
to share a Christmas meal & then we made friends in cosy local pubs. We
went on bar crawls & had challenges to see who could finish a baguette
first. Didn’t you know? French students are the most fun.
Bon voyage! I would be
lying if I said the Year Abroad wasn’t one of the main selling points of a
language degree. It is & for a very good reason. This is a once in a
lifetime experience. One that unfortunately I didn’t get to live, but I saw my
friends through theirs & spent a week Living Like a Parisienne (see what I
did there?). Fair warning- the French are notoriously slow at processing
paperwork. You will need a guarantor, a proof of address, your ID, the hair of
a unicorn, the blood of a witch & a muffin basket to bribe the bank clerk
with before you can open an account. You may feel homesick & jump at every
chance to come back home. But you will have countless photo opportunities. You
will make friends & see sights. You will live a whole new life you didn’t
think you could. Embrace it. And remember that Paris is a very expensive city
before you decide to put it as your first choice. Speak to the final year
students if you want the lowdown.
I don’t know what to
say. Which is a little ironic as I feel like I’ve written a small essay on the
subject. Of course, I think we could all do with a little guidance when it
comes to university. But, I also think university is what you make of it. For
me, Warwick was the obvious choice. It was far enough to be away from home, but
not so far that I felt isolated. I made good memories & I worked hard. I
enjoyed my degree & the friends I made are now my family. I worked my butt
off at one of the top universities in the country & now I have a job in
Fashion where I get to use my French. You will make mistakes. You’ll get a
grade on an essay you’re not so happy with. You’ll eat dodgy chips after a
night out. You’ll kiss the wrong guy. But hey, hopefully you’ll make all those
mistakes as a Warwick student.
Faz's Blog-
Living Like a Parisienne
Faz's Twitter-
@likeaparisienne
Faz's Instagram-
@livinglikeaparisienne
Faz's Pinterest-
@fazparisienne
Bloglovin-
Living Like a Parisienne
No comments
Post a Comment