Paris French School 101

Getting to know the cultural and methodological intricacies (and eccentricities) of French academia can be one of the most adventurous experiences during your time abroad—for better or for worse.

Perfect 1o .. Or 20. Instead of an A through F grading system, the French use a numbers scale up to 20. This might not seem like a culture-shockable difference until you receive an 11 on your first paper and wonder how all those hours in the Bibliothèque Nationale left you with just above a failing grade. Don’t gorge yourself on Nutella crêpes in a hopeless self-pitying daze just yet—the numbers scale doesn’t exactly correspond to a percentage-based sense of pass/fail. Below is a table of an approximate number-to-letter conversion.

Letter Grade	Number Equivalent
A+	17+
A	16
A-	15
B+	14
B	13
B-	12
C+	11
C	10
C-	9
F	8 and below

Existentialism Is More Than A Pastime. One of the major differences between the American and French university experiences is the level of autonomy you are expected to exercise. American campuses are meant to provide a living environment—meaning they usually offer mental, emotional, and psychological support in the form of counselors, activities, tutors, etc. Professors (at least technically) are supposed to be approachable and available to student inquiries and concerns. There are usually actual assignments with actual due dates. In France, you’re on your own, with initiative, discipline, and perseverance as your only friends. You’ll often find that your class has no real syllabus, but rather an exhaustive list of books (anywhere from 5 to 60) that your professor thinks may be relevant to the topic at hand—or may just think are interesting in general. You may also have just one or two larger assignments as opposed to more frequent and less intense works; If you’re prepared and organized, you can avoid the I’m-lost-in-a-world-of-nothingness feelings that have plagued Frenchies and study abroaders alike in the past.

It’S Not What You Say But How You Say It.. The difference between your high-level French class at USA University and your history class at Normale Sup is not just that your papers are in French. The assignments themselves—and philosophy behind the assignments—are quite different. The French students you’ll be studying with will have been instructed in French methodology since they were teething on wine corks, and you may be expected to be well-versed in the ways of French argumentation also. Moreover, like a lot of things in France—and Paris especially—presentation is often as or more important than content. Students have lost multiple points for forgetting to justify the margin ( always justify!). We here at Let’s Go can provide you with a brief overview, but for more information check out Guy Spielman’s page at Georgetown (www9.georgetown.edu/faculty/spielmag/docs/index.htm), Site Magister (www.site-magister.com), www.lettres.net, and/or www.hisgeo.com.

La Dissertation: The difference between the essay and the dissertation basically boils down to this: in the US, your job is to assert; in France, your job is to reflect. While Americans are taught to form theses, summarize, analyze, and make conclusions about certain topics, French students are encouraged to discover the “questions behind the questions,” reveal the many sides of the debate, and decide what there is to learn from the discussion (not the answer). Many think this is a metaphor for how Americans and Frenchies think in general, but Let’s Go won’t be so bold as to go that far.
Dossier de Synthèse: This is basically a summary of a major work—be it a novel or non-fiction. It’s usually used in social science and humanities courses. Many study abroaders are confused by this type of assignment because it seems rather simple and mindless—you’re just supposed to paraphrase what you’ve read in depth? Yes.
Fiche de Lecture: Usually assigned in political science or history classes, the fiche de lecture usually consists of reading a selection of texts, summarizing each, and explaining how they interact with one another—how the authors agree or disagree. The key to this is to be straightforward—they’re looking not looking for creativity.
L’Exposé: The exposé can be one of the most harrowing aspects of a French education, especially at the grander universities. Often instead of lecturing each week, professors will assign a topic to each student, who has to research and then present his or her findings during class. Yes, study abroaders, too. And yes, it means that the same kid who gets Englished by waiters has to speak in French in front of potentially hundreds of people .. potentially for an hour or 2. Moreover, French professors seem to get a kick out of interrupting, questioning, and challenging students throughout the presentation—or better yet, they wait until the end before proceeding to re-do your exposé the way they would have given it. If all you get is a “Pas mal,” thank your lucky étoiles.

Your Master’S Licence? As you know, Let’s Go ’s got your back: we wouldn’t let you set off on your abroad experience without knowing some of the major concepts and minor terminology so you can at least fake like you know what you’re talking about (that’s what we all do anyway, right?).

Le Baccalauréat: A.k.a le bac. The exam that all French teenagers take at the end of their version of lycée, or secondary school. You gotta pass to go to uni.
La Licence: Undergraduate studies in a specific discipline. Takes 3 years.
Le Master: Graduate studies with focus on research. Takes 2 years.
Le Doctorat: Like a PhD. Takes 3 years.
Le CM (cour magistral): Lecture, given by the main professor.
Le TD (travaux dirigés): A work session, or section as many people call them, usually with a second professor.
Devoir: Homework in general, but a paper more specifically.
Devoir sur table: In-class essay or test.
Partiel: Midterm.
UFR: “Unité de Formation et de Recherche”. An academic department.
Inscription: Registration.