Comments on: On Campus (Part II)

By: Saskboy

Saskboy — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 03:33:24 +0000

Interesting, I had no idea there were no "dry grads" and that sort of nonsense going on in France. .-= Saskboy´s last blog ..More Threats Over =-.

By: Priyank

Priyank — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 16:51:44 +0000

My biggest shock was when my friend mentioned that his 10 year old cousin is graduating. I was puzzled and my face looked like a joker. It’s so strange that you graduate every year Similar to you, I had to write two horrible board exams — grade 10 and 12. Its nothing but torture…
.-= Priyank´s last blog ..Three years in Toronto =-.

By: shionge

shionge — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 00:02:17 +0000

So interesting to say the least, Singapore follows the British system and I know parents are all stressed out when the results are announced for Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE), GCE O & A Levels

Nice photos Zhu

By: Max Coutinho

Max Coutinho — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 12:56:35 +0000

Hey Zhu,

I so know what you are talking about: in Portugal, the graduation process is also very meagre (no party, no prom nothing).
We have national exams (covering between 8 to 12 subjects as well — wait…now it is less, because of the Educational reform; now kids have it easy, I think they only take 4 to 6 subjects) that start in June/July and then the results come out in July/August.

“French don’t have yearbooks, school-sponsored extra-curricular activities, residences on campus… high-school and university alike are not really “shield” from the real world.” — neither does Portugal.

Beautiful university!

Happy festivities, girl!
.-= Max Coutinho´s last blog ..Letter to Eros =-.

By: Zhu

Zhu — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 01:36:27 +0000

@London Caller — My university was crap in France too. Asbestos everywhere, always in construction, falling apart… I do like Canadian campuses!

@Beth — I wish I had had one!

@Seb — Not really. It’s pretty easy to find me on the web though but most of my high school friends are nowhere to be found.

@Lizz — I wondered if I would have dismissed my graduation if I have had one… maybe actually. I couldn’t wait to leave high school.

@Khengsiong — Same here! And when I took the French Bac, I think even my parents had nightmares, it reminded them of their own exams

@Seraphine — I wouldn’t have liked the clique thing either, I was neither popular or teased… Definitely not the sorority kind!

@Kim — Anonimity really doesn’t matter in France. I was quite surprised that students didn’t talk about their grades in Canada. I was quite opened with mine (both good and bad!) and I never knew what other got. For one class, the prof actually whispered the grades to each of the students!

@Sidney — I totally agree. At least for uni. graduate!

@Linguist-in-Waiting — You’d think French use Latin honor… but no! As far as I know, the French system has always been this way. Probably another way of being different!

@Jennie — Going to uni. in a foreign country is definitely another culture shock. I thought I knew Canada quite well… but the academic world surprises me.

By: Jennie

Jennie — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:15:27 +0000

I'm really missing my undergrad years in Michigan! I'm thinking about doing un Master here in France (even though I've already done one in the US and been through 6 years of university...) and I know it will be so strange for me. .-= Jennie´s last blog ..Le Marché de Noël à Chambéry =-.

By: Linguist-in-Waiting

Linguist-in-Waiting — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:07:51 +0000

Wow. I never knew that. The Philippines usually gets its educational rituals from the United States, so we have similar features. Even in undergrad, my college had its own yearbook (and I was a member of the yearbook team), and we have Commencement Exercises, two of them actually. One for the college, and one that is university-wide. We also had several honor ceremonies, so when I was inducted into this one three-Greek-letter honor society, I had to dress up for that. Latin honors were also given away. .-= Linguist-in-Waiting´s last blog ..Book Review: Nocturnes by Kazuo Ishiguro =-.

By: Sidney

Sidney — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 10:43:48 +0000

I think it is nice when you celebrate your graduation… it is once in a lifetime…for most of us.

By: Kim

Kim — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 10:23:44 +0000

I find it so sad that France doesn’t have graduation ceremonies. I attended my Bachelors ceremony in New Zealand and it was wonderful, 3 years of hard work celebrated! I wanted to attend my Masters graduation but I was already in France. I am disappointed that when I finally finish this hell PhD there won’t be a graduation ceremony! I’ll head to the town hall and pick up my degree and that’ll be it. Luckily at my lab we have a ‘pot’ after our defence which usually turns into a huge party lasting all night.

I was quite surprised in France to see the lists of the license and masters students on the doors of our lab with all their grades at the end of the year. In NZ your grades are posted but with an ID number so no one else knows what your grades are. I like this anonymity.
.-= Kim´s last blog ..Noël =-.

By: Seraphine

Seraphine — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 05:23:09 +0000

i think france must be, in the words of jean-paul sartre, happy agony. being is what it is. i hated the traditions of my high school. I skipped picture day so i wouldn't have my picture in the yearbook. you were either popular, or you weren't. i hated the clique system. i would have preferred the french way. it sounds much more adult. .-= Seraphine´s last blog ..Every Negative has a Corresponding Positive =-.