La Rentrée part 2 is my second 'first day of school'. During the month of September Sciences Po hosts all its exchange students at a welcome program where we learn all the logistics of life here, take language classes, methodology classes, have mixers, and meet tons of new people from everywhere.
I believe I have been introduced to a students from every continent this week, from Australia to South Africa, Japan, Hong Kong, India, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, and Mexico. It is quite amazing to hear about school and life in all these different places, not to mention the languages! I feel like a simpleton barely speaking two as it seems that everyone here knows usually three or four. The most impressive combo of language abilities I have heard so far is Greek, German, English, French, a little Dutch, and Japanese!
Now, I know I am here to completely experience the culture of France, but I desperately wish the system for enrollment were a little more like back home, you know, organized. We were given a list of possible classes without info on duration, enrollment capacity, or even the day it might be offered. However the uni offered wifi and comps at the campus so we could easily have help if needed. So after one fire alarm (yes the fire alarm went off during registration, it was a bit of a mess), much fidgeting, and 3 hours sitting on a marble floor at the university campus I officially have a class schedule. May I say, I am pretty excited about it, everything from Economic Development, History of France, Economics of Northern Africa, EU immigration, a french language class, and a class on constraints of waging war with a focus on humanitarian law. I have to confess to a bit of nerdy joy over the amazing subjects offered here, I hope they all are as good as the titles make them sound...
Now I am off to nap, as I am once again fighting illness, then off to classes. Thank heavens for the kind pharmacie lady and her magic pills. I hope to be in better health soon!
much love!
Feel better!!
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