School is still school

So, they sort of lied to us when they said our classes don’t start until next week. We found out mid-week that the lectures for history started this week, but nothing else. Also, classes at the Institut Catholique started this week. Which meant that I had two more classes this week than last week.

And they were both yesterday. Twentieth century European history, and Sociology of media. I understand most of history, and I think it’ll be enjoyable, mostly. Sociology, though, man, that class will be interesting… I may have understood a third of it. At least there are other Sweet Briar people in that class, so we can compare notes. History, though, there are supposed to be others, but they’re not in my TD (discussion section, basically), and they’re not people I know, really.

There are a few things about the French university system that I think are worth noting.

First, I think French schools here are in general more uniform in what they teach than they are in the US. For example, my history prof made some reference to stuff that they’d already learned in their junior year in high school, so he wasn’t going to go into it. Less than helpful for me, but ah well.

Secondly, they give you these huge, two page lists of books for the course. And it’s horribly daunting. They don’t expect you to read them all, but what I can’t figure out is how you decide which ones you do read. Do you just read the ones they mention in class? Do you just pick a few that seem interesting? Do you just go read relevant excerpts from each?

It’s raining, and I must go.