S W E E T

B R I A R

C O L L E G E

Junior Year in France

full

immersion

in

paris

university

since 1948

Handbook

life

PLEASE READ THIS HANDBOOK PRIOR TO YOUR DEPARTURE FOR FRANCE.

www.jyf.sbc.edu

Before leaving your college campus, make sure that every important office on your campus has the address, telephone number, fax number and e-mail address of both our Paris and Virginia offices: Registrar’s Office, Dean’s Office, Dean of Students’ Office, Study Abroad Office, major department(s), academic adviser(s), etc: Junior Year in France Sweet Briar College, 34, rue de Fleurus, 75006 Paris, France Tel: 011-33-1-45-48-79-30 Fax: 011-33-1-45-49-27-52 E-mail: [email protected]

Junior Year in France Sweet Briar College, Sweet Briar, Virginia Tel: 434-381-6109 Fax: 434-381-6283 E-mail: [email protected]

Table of Contents I. Pre-departure Formalities .................................................................... p. 2

1. 2. 3. 4.

Photographs .............................................................................................................. p. Passport .................................................................................................................... p. Student Visa for France .............................................................................................. p. Identity Cards ............................................................................................................ p.

2 2 2 4

II. Departure: Your Luggage .................................................................... p. 5

1. 2. 3. 4.

Clothes and Miscellaneous Articles ............................................................................. p. Electrical and Electronic Appliances ............................................................................ p. Other Articles ............................................................................................................ p. Personal Effects Insurance .......................................................................................... p.

6 6 6 6

III. Living in France ................................................................................. p. 7

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.

Program Administrators in France ............................................................................... p. 8 First Stop: Tours ......................................................................................................... p. 8 Next Stop: Paris ........................................................................................................ p. 9 Housing and Living Arrangements ............................................................................ p. 11 Communicating with the U.S. ................................................................................... p. 14 Receiving and Spending Money ............................................................................... p. 15 Holidays and Holiday Travel .................................................................................... p. 16 Safety During Your Year in France ........................................................................... p. 16 Relationships ........................................................................................................... p. 17 Health (Group Medical Insurance) ............................................................................ p. 18 Sexual Harassment .................................................................................................. p. 19 Alcohol ................................................................................................................... p. 19 Drugs ..................................................................................................................... p. 20

IV. Preliminary Reading and Study ......................................................... p. 20

1. United States ........................................................................................................... p. 20 2. Suggested Readings on France ................................................................................. p. 20

V. Academic Planning ........................................................................... p. 21

1. Course Load and Advising ....................................................................................... p. 2. Preliminary Sessions ................................................................................................ p. 3. The Academics in Paris ............................................................................................ p. A. Preparation for Work in a Paris University .......................................................... p. B. The University of Paris ....................................................................................... p. C. Other Schools and Institutes ............................................................................... p. D. Courses Offered by the Sweet Briar College JYF .................................................. p. E. Studio Art, Music and Other Performing Arts ...................................................... p. F. Independent Work ............................................................................................ p. G. Internships ........................................................................................................ p. H. Assistantships in French High Schools ................................................................. p. I. Grading ........................................................................................................... p.

21 22 23 23 23 26 26 27 28 28 28 28

Checklist ................................................................................................ p. 30 L ist of Subjects Available in the Various Paris Universities, Institutes, and Specialized Schools ............................................................. p . 32

1­

junior year in france

You

should read this supplementary material very carefully.

If you have any specific question, please do not hesitate to write, phone, fax, or e-mail the Junior Year in France office at Sweet Briar, Virginia: Tel: (434) 381-6109, Fax: (434) 381-6283, e-mail: [email protected]

I. Pre-Departure Formalities 1. Photographs

It is imperative that the JYF office in Virginia receives eight (8) passport-size photographs no later than May 10 (November 10 for spring semester students), but sooner if possible. Please print your name in pencil on the back of each photograph. The photographs are required

for registration purposes by the University of Paris. Delay in receiving the photographs will jeopardize your registration. If you need additional photos in France for various types of identification cards, you can purchase them in Paris inexpensively at photo booths in supermarkets, train stations, etc. Photographs produced by color copiers or computer printers are not acceptable.

2. Passport

In order to receive a student visa from the French authorities, you must present a passport valid until at least August 31 of next year. If your current passport expires before that date, you must secure a new one. Application for a passport should be made no later than May 1st (November 1 for spring semester students). Detailed information on passport applications can be found online: travel.state.gov/passport

If you are a first-time applicant, you should complete and submit Form DSP-11 with (1) Proof of U.S. Citizenship, (2) Proof of Identity, (3) Two photographs 2” x 2” (color), (4) Fee ($100 payable by check, money order, or cashier’s check made to Passport Services or by major credit card ) paid in person to one of the following acceptance agents: a clerk at many Federal or State courts, probate courts, or some county/municipal offices, or at U.S. post offices authorized to accept passport applications or an agent at a Passport Agency in Boston, Chicago, 2­

Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Stamford, or Washington, D.C. The addresses of passport acceptance facilities in your area are available online at iafdb.travel.state.gov

If you have had a previous passport, inquire about

eligibility to use Form DSP-82 (mail-in application) or check the Web site at

travel.state.gov/passport/get/renew/ renew_833.html

To avoid delay, you should investigate now to see that you have a proper birth certificate (if you are a first-time passport applicant) and secure the required photographs, both for the passport application and the visa application.

Under no circumstances should any change be made in the passport. If there is an error, return the passport to the place of application so the error may be officially corrected. Read carefully the instructions sent to you with the passport. You should also indicate your home address

in pencil at the proper place in your passport

and make two extra copies of the two pages containing your picture and personal information: one which you will leave with your parents, the other which, for safety reasons, you may wish to carry in France instead of your passport (although it is not a legal document). IMPORTANT: As soon as you have secured your passport, sign it and send us a photocopy of the two pages containing your picture and your personal information, by

June 1 (December 1 for This is important. Do this even if you travel to France independently. We need this to register you in the universities. spring semester students).

3. Student Visa for France ATTENTION: As of March 1, 2007, you MUST enroll with CAMPUS FRANCE USA in order

HANDBOOK

to obtain a long stay student visa.

Visit www.

usa.campusfrance.org to learn more and to register.

YOU SHOULD REGISTER AS SOON AS YOU HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED INTO THE JYF PROGRAM. You will receive a Campus France ID number. You must then complete a five-page document online and send in a $70 money order to Campus France in Washington. Do not delay registering or you may not receive clearance in time to apply for a visa at the

French Consulate.

In order to remain longer than ninety days, anyone planning to study in France must have a long-term visa. To apply for it, you should visit the website of the French Consulate for the region where you reside and download the proper forms for the application and the amount you should remit for the fee. You may not apply for your visa until you have your passport and you have received from us Items 4, 5 and 6 listed in this section. These will be sent to you as soon as we have secured proof of admission from the Paris Universities. You should

not apply for the visa more than three months before your departure (although you may ask

for the forms and the requirements earlier).

IMPORTANT: If you are not a U.S. “Bearers of Non-American Passports”

citizen, see page

4.

The Junior Year in France cannot be responsible for the very serious problems, which will arise if you enter France without a visa or with the wrong visa. It is impossible to secure a student visa once you have entered France.

To determine where you have to apply for a student visa, based on your place of residence, check the JYF Web site at www.jyf.sbc.edu. The number, which follows the name of your state, indicates the reference number of the Consulate you must contact. The Consulates, with their addresses and phone numbers, are listed on the right. You can access their Web sites at: ambafrance-us.org/intheus/consulates.asp Address your inquiry to: Consulat Général de France à [name of the city], Service des visas. You will be asked to complete the application in French (see sample on Web site www. jyf.sbc.edu). On question 24, page 2 of the

application, indicate the name and address of the University where you are registered (see the Attestation d’inscription which will be sent to you): the addresses of the Université de Paris: • Université Paris III (Sorbonne Nouvelle) 17, rue de la Sorbonne, 75005 Paris • Université Paris IV (Paris-Sorbonne) 1, rue Victor Cousin, 75005 Paris

• Université Paris VII (Denis Diderot) 16, rue Marguerite Duras, 75013 Paris Cedex 13

All consulates will require that you appear in person to apply for your visa interview. You must make an appointment online and bring the items listed below for the interview. Consulates do NOT accept applications via mail or email. Applications must be complete or they will be rejected. 1. Your passport (signed). Year students: passport should be valid until at lease August 31 of next year; Spring semester December 31. 2. One (or two) visa application forms completed and signed.

3. Photograph(s), passport size, color or black and white (Your consulate will confirm number of photographs required.) 4. Proof of registration at a Paris institution of higher education (sent to you by the Virginia office of the JYF). 5. Notarized statement of financial guarantee (sent to you by the Virginia office of the JYF).

6. Proof of medical and accident insurance coverage (sent to you by the Virginia office of the JYF). 7. Money order or certified check covering the visa fee (if you apply by mail) or cash (only if you apply in person) (approximately $120-$150, fee will vary according to fluctuation of the dollar) (personal checks are not accepted). 8. Stamped, self-addressed envelope. The envelope must be large enough to hold the passport and the documents and carry sufficient postage for their return by certified mail (approximately $4.00 plus postage). Meter postage is not accepted.

3­

junior year in france

IMPORTANT: Keep

copies of all documents that

you send to obtain a visa.

As

soon as you receive your visa, please send

Virginia office of the Junior France. Keep another copy at home and

a photocopy to the

Year

in

take a third one to France. You should also take with you the documents which you submitted to receive your visa and which were returned to you. You will notice that your visa may contain a statement to the effect that “the Consul Général of France wishes to remind you that this visa does not in itself grant you the right to enter French territory. It is necessary that you carry the documents used to obtain the visa with you at all times. Border authorities may request that you show these documents upon entry to France. Inability to produce them may prevent you from entering the country.”

Visa de Long Séjour

Certain consulates require students to complete a form, Visa de Long Séjour-Demande d’Attestation OFII, which will be processed by the consulate and returned to you with your passport and visa. Bring this form with you to France, but DO NOT complete the lower part of the form nor send it to the OFII before your arrival in France. The office of Sweet Briar College-JYF in Paris acts as the liaison between the OFII and our students to insure the successful completion of the visa process in France. In this connection you will be required to have a medical examination in France, which cost 55€ (or approximately $85). This fee will need to be paid by you in France. However, if

your visa is stamped “dispense temporaire de carte de séjour,” you do not need to complete the form with L’OFII or have the medical exam.

Bearers of Non-American Passports

Bearers of non-American passports should call the French Consulate for special requirements. Because of eventual delays they should begin their visa application early (the French Consulate recommends that they do so at least three months before the departure date i.e., June 1, or October 15 for Spring semester students) and check with their own consul-

ates with regard to visas for France and travel in Europe outside of France. Students who 4­

will travel on passports issued by France, one of the other European Union countries, or Switzerland, Andorra, the Holy See, San Marin and Liechtenstein, do not need visas to study in France; if they have dual nationality, they must secure two passports, one from the European country (to enter France), the other from the United States (to return to the U.S.) Non-American students who need to apply for their visa at a French consulate in the U.S. should fill out question 19 of the application form and indicate the details of their Green Card, their U.S. visa, or their refugee document.

Early Departure from the U.S.

Fall and academic year students: If you plan to spend the summer in Europe prior to Fall semester, you should know that once the visa is stamped on your passport, you must enter France within a period of three months after the date of issue and the visa is valid for one entry only. This restriction may pose problems if you travel to Europe before June 1. One solution is for the Consulate in the U.S. to process the visa application and advise a French Consulate in another European country to stamp the visa in your passport. It is impossible to apply for a visa in a country where you are not resident (for example in England, if you are not a United Kingdom resident, but simply attend a summer program at a British university).

4. Identity Cards

The Junior Year in France will issue a temporary student identity card to each participant in the program upon arrival in France. Later you will receive a card from a Paris university. In addition to these two cards, you may wish to purchase an International Student Identity Card. This card, which costs approximately $25, is available on many campuses. Check the Web site at www.istc.org

The card offers several discounts and includes some insurance coverage ($100 per day to a maximum of 60 days for in-hospital sickness, $3,000 for accident-related medical expenses, etc.). This insurance coverage may

HANDBOOK

be combined with the more complete insurance coverage included in the Junior Year in France fee (see “Group Medical Insurance” p. 19). The current card is valid only through December 31 of the current year. Colleges and universities should receive the new card sometime during the summer, valid through December 31 of next year. Try to secure the new card. If you are planning to travel in Europe using the large network of youth hostels, you may wish to purchase an American Youth Hostels membership card ($30 for a year): check the Hosteling International office nearest to you (or apply online) at: www.hiayh.org/ There are 6,000 hostels all over the world. Costs range from $10-$25 a night. Comfort varies from hostel to hostel, but most are dormitory-style, separated by sex. Hostels supply blankets, visitors bring their own sleep sacks — a folded-over sheet that is sewn up the side.

II. Departure: Your Luggage

Fall semester and academic year students travelling with the group to Paris are scheduled to leave on an Air France flight from Washington, DC, Dulles Airport late August arriving at Paris-

Charles-de Gaulle Airport the next morning. (No group departure spring semester). In June more precise information on the flight will be sent as well as the most recent regulations covering the size and number of bags allowed on the plane. A meeting for students, parents and friends is scheduled at the departure hotel. Baggage check-in time for fall and academic year students will be announced. Please be punctual at meeting and for check-in time. You

should not worry if you come to Dulles Airport alone, without parents or friends, especially if you do not know any other participant. Others will be in the same situation and will be pleased to meet you.

Fall and academic year students in the Paris program travelling independently should plan to meet the group in Tours in late August. (Spring semester students should arrive in Paris midJanuary—dates to be announced). They cannot

join the group at Charles de Gaulle airport since the number of seats on the busses is limited and the busses are supplied by the travel agent for the exclusive use of students travelling with the group. Students travelling independently must also handle their own baggage. Extra baggage cannot be sent with the group, nor can the Paris office assume any responsibility for the storage of baggage. Specific instructions on travelling from Paris to Tours will be provided. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU SEND YOUR COMPLETE FLIGHT ITINERARY IN ADVANCE TO BOTH THE VIRGINIA JYF OFFICE AND THE RESIDENT DIRECTOR; AND YOU NOTIFY BOTH OFFICES OF ANY CHANGES.

Currently, international airlines allow one carry-on bag (no more than 21” x 14” x 8” and maximum weight of 26 lbs.) plus a purse or camera case. You can check two bags; however, there is a fee for the second bag (first bag maximum dimension is 62” and second bag is 55”, which is the combined length + width + height, with a maximum weight of 50 pounds per piece). The Virginia office will send more detailed information closer to your departure date. All pieces of baggage must carry your name and address (inside and outside). Junior Year in France tags will be sent to fall and year students in August. All students return to the States individually at the end of the semester or year. You must have a round trip ticket to obtain the student visa. Check the end dates of the program. Early exams are NOT allowed. If a student misses an exam, he/she will receive a 0 for the exam. Seasoned travellers know that the best way to pack is to set out all you wish to take on your bed, divide it in half, and leave half at home. Remember that you will have to carry your luggage to the airport. You will also buy things in France. Every year students have to pay heavy excess luggage penalties when they come back from France. Therefore plan your wardrobe very carefully. Storage and closet space in most French homes is limited. Try to pack clothes that are easily laundered, as dry cleaning can be expensive. To avoid problems with customs, remove price tags from any items brought from the United States.

5­

junior year in france

1. Clothes and Miscellaneous Articles

What you bring will depend to a certain degree on your life style. However, you should include: • warm winter coat, umbrella, raincoat • jacket for fall and spring • jeans

• good walking shoes; or even hiking boots for those who enjoy hiking in the mountains • warm sweater(s)

• wash-and-wear fabrics and practical colors recommended

For Women:

• a few nice outfits for plays, dining out, and other “special events”

For Men:

• a suit and tie (or blazer and slacks) for special occasions and a jacket with several pairs of jeans.

Miscellaneous for Both Men And Women: • bathing suit

• backpack is essential

• slippers, warm sleepwear

• a sleeping bag, if you intend to stay in youth hostels

• camera

• travel journal, pocket calculator, batteryoperated alarm clock • this Handbook

• photos from home as these are nice to share with your host family and friends.

2. Electrical and Electronic Appliances

Electrical power in France is 230 volts (compared to 120 in the U.S.); if you plug in an American appliance without a converter, the resistance burns out immediately. The number of cycles is also different in Europe, so that equipment which must run at a given speed (clocks, tape recorders, compact disk players) will not operate properly on French power. Dual voltage razors, hair dryers, curling irons, etc.

6­

can be purchased in the U.S. and used in France with adapter plugs (available at Radio Shack and other stores). They can also be bought in France at reasonable prices. Battery operated appliances are, of course, not affected. NOTE: Be very careful when using American appliances abroad. Avoid accidents by careful inquiry before plugging in any appliance. Even where voltage is right, the meter and wiring in a given home may not stand the use of an iron while other appliances are on.

Remember, the cost of electricity

is high in France, and it is not possible to use every kind of appliance in all homes.

Personal Computers: Once you are registered as

a student at the University of Paris, you will be given access to their Wi-Fi. If you have a laptop, we HIGHLY recommend that you bring it with you to France. Computers, laptops or otherwise, should not be sent to France since students will have to pay exorbitant duty.

3. Other Articles

Sports Equipment: Bring a ski outfit if you plan

a trip to the mountains during Christmas or Spring vacation. Ski boots and equipment can be rented at mountain resorts. Bring tennis racket and skates if desired (ice-skates can be rented at rinks). Bicycles can also be rented.

Gifts For Hostesses: While not required, it is a nice gesture to take your hostesses in Tours, Paris or Nice a small gift from America—something which takes little room to pack. When you are invited for dinner or the weekend, it is customary to take an inexpensive gift such as flowers, or a box of candy.

4. Personal Effects Insurance

We urge you to insure your baggage and to leave expensive jewelry or jewelry with sentimental value at home. If your parents carry a

personal effects policy for all members of the family, you should inquire as to its coverage while you live in Paris. If you have no general coverage, you should secure such insurance through a general insurance agent or any travel

HANDBOOK

agent. If you notice that a piece of luggage is damaged or missing on arrival at Charles de Gaulle Airport, you must inform the airlines luggage office immediately [before going

through customs]. Once you have left the baggage area, airlines are no longer liable.

III. Living in France

In 1948, when the Sweet Briar College Junior Year in France began operation, travel and study abroad were an opportunity open only to a privileged few. Today that situation has changed considerably. Many students have already traveled to Europe and even had the experience of living there either as members of high school exchange programs or as children of Americans connected with business, government or military enterprises abroad. Whatever your travel experiences may have been, preparing to spend a year abroad as a university student is still a major undertaking. You will probably have many questions about France, as well as some mistaken ideas based on out-of-date books, the false images conveyed by movies, and your own inability to imagine in what ways things may be different from what you are used to. In the past thirty years, France has gone through a period of rapid and widespread economic change. Thanks to the growth of multinational firms, such brand name products as Colgate, Tide, Kleenex, and Revlon are as common as they are at home. So are Starbucks, McDonald’s, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken, etc. There is even a Euro Disney. However, this is just the commercial surface of French life.

In fact, the longer you remain, the more you will come to realize how deceptive are the resemblances, and how deep the differences, between the United States and France: history and the way people relate to it, social and political institutions, the importance

attached to things that you might consider trivial (and vice versa), and the differences in meaning of seemingly similar words. Living in France can indeed be a frustrating experience for a foreigner, but it can also be an endless discovery and delight to one who comes with an open mind, patience, and eagerness to learn. What you get out of your year will depend to a great extent on the attitude you bring to it. When you receive your visa, you will notice that you are being admitted as a student, not as a tourist. You may sometimes need to remind yourself of this, particularly during your first months in France.

Although Sweet Briar College does its best to help you cope with your adaptation problems, upon arriving in France most students usually suffer more or less from “culture shock.” The American student, conditioned by a different set of values and techniques in education, may meet with some surprises. American students regularly complain that their university professors do not take enough personal interest in them, and that they practice unfamiliar teaching methods, such as the reprise: the oral correction of a student’s exposé (oral presentation) given in class. We hope, of course, that in deciding to study in France, you do not expect to find things just as they are in Amherst, New York or Charlottesville, etc. If they were, why leave home?

Since America is judged abroad by its representatives, every student must also realize that his or her conduct can affect the reputation of the country. Sweet Briar College Junior Year in France, as a large, wellestablished program of American students, is particularly subject to scrutiny. At age twenty, you have already formed your own standards of behavior and there is little we can do to change them. However, we would like to remind you that in France accepted local conventions must be taken into consideration when determining proper conduct.

7­

junior year in france

The Resident and Associate Director are particularly qualified to advise you on questions concerning your relations with your foreign environment.

1. Program Administrators in France A. The Resident Director:

Professor Marie Grée, M.A.,Ph.D., New

York University; Licence, Maîtrise in English Literature at University of Nanterre (Paris X).

The Resident Director is responsible for overall administration in Tours and Paris. One of her principal functions is advising students in the organization of their academic program in Paris.

B. The Assistant Director:

The Assistant Director’s functions are to aid students in questions of housing and relations with their French hosts and hostesses. He/she makes housing arrangements, in Paris, based on requests in the housing questionnaires and individual interviews in Tours. The Assistant Director also organizes social events and excursions.

C. The Academic Consultant:

Mme Lucy Hervier, B.A. Skidmore College.

The Academic Consultant is a liaison with the Paris Universities and assists with registration details for students in those institutions. In particular she helps students at course registration time. Mme Hervier, a JYF alumna, is also director of the internship program.

D. The Administrative Assistant:

The Administrative Assistants in the Paris office answer general questions, help organize social events and preform clerical and secretarial duties.

2. First Stop: Tours

If you travel with the Paris JYF group in August, you will be accompanied on the flight by a

member of the JYF Advisory Board Committee 8­

of JYF alum. As soon as customs formalities

have been completed, you will be taken directly by bus to the city of Tours. The trip takes about four hours with a lunch stop en route, near Orléans. After the plane ride, you may feel more like sleeping on the bus than admiring the French countryside. In mid-afternoon, you will arrive in Tours where the French family with whom you will be living will meet you. You will have the rest of that day and the following morning to recuperate from jet lag. Then there will be a few days of orientation and organization before the actual academic program begins. You will all be lodged in French homes. Because of possible last minute changes (an emergency of some kind, illness, etc.), the name and address of the family you will be staying with will only be given to students at the airport.

During the stay in Tours you will receive demipension, i.e. room, breakfast, and evening meal. You will have another Junior Year in France student stay with your family. We hope you will contact your parents as soon as reasonably possible, but parents should not be too impatient if they do not hear from their son or daughter the first or the second day. You should also avoid worrying your parents with minor problems, which they might magnify; they will probably contact the Virginia office regarding a small problem which you have long since resolved. Remember that eventually all problems have to be solved in France and you should first talk to the Resident Director or the Assistant Director. During the first days, your cooperation and patience will help the program get off to a good start. You will be required to sign an official pledge which states that you agree to speak only French in the JYF headquarters both in Tours and Paris. You may want to buy a Michelin Guide Vert to start visiting the city and the area, which is nicknamed Jardin de la France, or to rent a bicycle to see the surrounding countryside noted for its châteaux and vineyards. Within easy reach are such places as Saché (the Balzac museum and the former home of Alexander Calder, the famous American sculptor); Saint-Cosme (last abode and burial place of Ronsard); the château of

HANDBOOK

Plessis-les-Tours, favorite residence of Louis XI (described in Scott’s Quentin Durward and Hugo’s Notre-Dame de Paris), Villandry, and, of course, Tours itself, with its cathedral and art museum, the quais of the Loire and the Cher, and the beautifully restored medieval quarter (with the home of l7th century poet Tristan). You can also bike to such well-known villages as Vouvray and Bourgueil, noted for their cave dwellings and fine wines. You will remain in Tours approximately two weeks. Intensive language and composition classes are offered daily to prepare you for the academic program in Paris. You will also be introduced to French history, institutions, and customs through the excursions to various châteaux. At the end of the session in Tours, you will continue orientation in Paris. Your grade for this portion of the program (which counts for one unit of credit or the equivalent of a semester course) will be based on papers and class participation. If you apply yourself to this work from the beginning, it will help you get off to a good start for further study in France. Take advantage of your free time to become acquainted with French newspapers, magazines and television. Read a few novels. Begin a journal in French: you will appreciate it ten years from now. At the end of orientation in Tours, you will move on to Paris, again by bus. Upon arrival in Paris, a member of your host family will meet you.

3. Next Stop: Paris

Almost eleven million people now live in greater Paris, or approximately one sixth of the total population of France. Living in any large city presents many problems, but living in a large foreign city can present even more — particularly if you have never lived in a city before. You will need time to adjust to noise, traffic, crowds, a fast pace, the seeming brusqueness and impatience of the Parisiens, the way the métro and buses work, etc…! But if there are disadvantages, there are also many advantages to living in this large cosmopolitan city — the theatre, concerts, opera, cinema, museums and galleries, book stores, sidewalk cafés, the gen-

eral intensity of cultural and intellectual activity and, of course, great historic and artistic interest.

All of this will become part of your daily life within a short time, and you will no longer be surprised to note a marker on the side of a building where Benjamin Franklin and the American delegation signed the peace treaty which ended the American Revolution, or Gertrude Stein’s apartment (just across the street from the Junior Year in France headquarters), or part of the old wall which was one of the original ramparts of Paris, or even the Tour Eiffel (contrasting sharply with the Tour Montparnasse, I.M. Pei’s Pyramide in the Louvre courtyard, the new Opéra de la Bastille, the Arche de la Défense and the new Bibliothèque Nationale de France), indeed the whole phenomenon which Ernest Hemingway aptly described as “a moveable feast.” Everything that you do can become a pleasant or unpleasant learning situation, but you will find these situations less complicated if you first learn how to get along with Paris.

One change that will strike you when you begin your studies in Paris is that there is no campus. Classes are held in buildings scattered throughout the city, either amphithéâtres in the old Sorbonne, or classrooms in impersonal modern high-rise or pre-fab-looking buildings. Even if you take all your classes at one university, you may have courses in several quartiers of the city, so you must organize your life to assure ample time for getting around. For instance, although the Université de Paris IV is officially located at the Sorbonne, only thirdyear and master’s-level courses are offered there. All other courses are offered elsewhere in Paris. You will be doing a great deal more walking than you probably have in the last few years. To move quickly from one place to another you will be using public transportation, the buses and the métro, on which you can use your Passe Navigo, a monthly transportation ticket for the city of Paris costing around $78. The métro runs between 5:30 a.m. and 1:00 a.m. You will receive additional information on these matters in Tours. Except at night, you will take few taxis — they are as expensive in Paris as they are in New York! When you take a taxi make a

9­

junior year in france

note of the license tag number which is posted on the inside of one of the side windows: it will be easier to find the taxi if you forget anything.

Not only must you allot time each day for getting back and forth to classes, you will also have off-hours when it is inconvenient to return home. Learn to fill up these empty hours and make them count in your daily schedule. Do not spend all your free time in the Sweet Briar reading-room. The Sweet Briar Office in Paris will furnish lists of libraries and reading rooms at the various institutions open to undergraduates. Like French students, you will probably take up the habit of café sitting. This is a very pleasant, informative pastime, and although the price of drinks is high, you may usually stay at a table for as long as you wish. Incidentally, all cafés and restaurants in France routinely include a service charge of 15 percent (service compris) on the check (l’addition). There are over 200,000 students in the various branches of the Paris area university system and the other institutions of higher education. Many of these students live and work under difficult conditions. Various reforms have brought some relief, but there is still a shortage of professors, classrooms, living quarters, restaurants, libraries, and other facilities. It is important that you remember these facts. Most French students who study in Paris live with their families who usually maintain much firmer control over them than American families today. If the student’s family is of modest means, feeding a young person of 18-22 years is enough, let alone providing him with a great deal of spending money. French students are encouraged to apply themselves to their studies so that they can receive their degrees as quickly as possible, and therefore are not encouraged to lead the socially-oriented life that occurs on many American campuses. French universities offer very few extracurricular activities; they do not concern themselves with the social life of their students. The Parisian attitude towards foreigners is not unlike that of Americans in regions where there are large concentrations of immigrants at a time of high unemployment. Some French people feel invaded by outsiders. However, 10­

Americans are not perceived as competitors for jobs and the present attitude of the French toward Americans is much more positive than a few years ago. The French have had a love-hate relationship with the U.S. for a long time. They admire the technology and the American way of life, but are also pleased to assert their independence. A few years ago Newsweek magazine asked people in several countries to choose, out of a list of 14 characteristics, which ones they associated with Americans. The French chose: industrious, energetic, inventive, decisive and friendly, all positive characteristics. Remember that a foreign student in Paris is no novelty. There have been foreign students coming to Paris since the early 13th century. Today France has the highest percentage and second-highest number of foreign students in the world. With foreign students comprising 12 percent of its total student enrollment, it far outranks Britain (with approximately five percent) and the United States (three percent). An American student therefore attracts little notice in Paris compared to that which a foreign student often draws on a small American campus. You should not feel offended, therefore, if you are not shown special consideration in the various universities If you wish to get to know French students, you must take the initiative. Go to the places where you are most apt to meet French students. At the restaurants universitaires the chances are favorable. Make yourself speak French when you are in such places with other American students. People are more likely to speak to you if you are using their language. If you participate in any special activity such as playing a musical instrument, sports, dancing, or acting, try to keep it up while you are in Paris. It is easier to make acquaintances with people when there is some interest you share. While there are no fraternities or sororities, there are sports groups and other associations welcoming students — religious and volunteer organizations, ciné-clubs, etc. — where you will have opportunities to meet students. Students may join any of the following student sports groups (in addition to each university physical education department):

HANDBOOK

• Paris Université Club, 17, avenue Pierre de Coubertin, 75013 Paris (Tel: 01-44-16-6265) • Centre Sportif Universitaire, Centre JeanSarrailh, 31, avenue Georges Bernanos, 75006 Paris (Tel: 01-46-33-06-21) If

you plan to leave Paris for your Christmas Spring vacations, you might like to join a student tour group. For instance, there are and

many organized ski trips to the French Alps, Switzerland, and Austria for ten to twelve days at a reasonable all-inclusive price. These trips provide excellent opportunities to make friends. You should investigate such group tours as soon as you arrive in Paris because they fill up quickly. The most convenient and useful place to obtain information is: • OTU Voyage (Organisation pour le Tourisme Universitaire), 39, avenue Georges-Bernanos, 75005 Paris. • The U.C.P.A. (Union Nationale des Centres Sportifs de Plein Air), 62, rue de la Glacière, 75013 Paris, is also highly recommended by former students.

Religious Services Churches frequently offer opportunities to meet other students. France

is predominantly a

Roman Catholic

Whatever your religious beliefs, try to attend a Catholic service in one of the great historic churches in Paris since they have played such an important role in French history and the formation of French society. country.

There are also churches of other denominations in Paris where services are held in French, for example, the Eglise Réformée,

which is a Calvinist Protestant church similar to a Presbyterian church. The most famous is the Temple de l’Oratoire, 147, rue Saint-Honoré, 75001 Paris. There are also several Lutheran churches, including the Temple Saint-Marcel at 24, rue Pierre-Nicole, 75005 Paris, in the Latin Quarter. The most centrally located Baptist church is the Association Evangélique at 22, rue de Naples, 75008 Paris.

The following churches offer services in English: Saint-Joseph’s Church (Roman

Catholic), 50, avenue Hoche, 75008 Paris; the American Cathedral in Paris (Episcopal), 23, avenue George V, 75008 Paris; the American Church (Protestant-all denominations), 65, Quai d’Orsay, 75007 Paris; Wesleyan Methodist, 4, rue Roquépine, 75008 Paris; Church of Scotland (Presbyterian), 17, rue Bayard, 75008 Paris. Saint Alexis (Russian Orthodox) at 12, rue Daru, 57008 Paris, and St. Constantine-St. Helena (Greek Orthodox) at 28, rue Laferrière, 75009 Paris offer services in Russian and Greek respectively. There are numerous synagogues in Paris. The following are probably the most conveniently located for Junior Year in France students: (1) 9, rue Vauquelin,75005 Paris; (2) 14, rue Chasseloup-Laubat, 75015 Paris; (3) 24, rue Copernic, 75016 Paris.

Lunches

In Paris you will provide your own lunches. Since you will be registered as a regular University student, you will have the privilege of eating in the restaurants universitaires at a very reasonable rate of approximately 3 euro ($5). This is considerably cheaper than regular restaurants. You should budget somewhere around $5,000 for the year ($3,000 for semester) for your lunch in addition to one evening meal per week while you are in Paris.

Vegetarians: If you are vegetarian, you must realize that it will be up to you to adjust to French living conditions. Vegetarianism is not as common in France as in the U.S. Students often find that they are obliged to purchase certain dietary supplements not provided in their familles. Students should not always expect the families to serve a large variety of freshly peeled, chopped and cooked vegetables. Very few families accept vegetarians and there are a limited number of rooms where a student can do his or her own cooking. These possibilities will be explained in Tours.

4. Housing and Living Arrangements A. Private Homes

We believe that residing in private homes is the best arrangement for students who

11­

junior year in france

wish to really improve their French and become acquainted with French society. All students wishing to be housed with families will be accommodated. The family situations are so varied that it is impossible to go into too much detail without discussing each host family separately. In general these housing possibilities range from living with a mother, father and children to living with a divorced woman and her children, with a single working woman or even in a room situated on a different floor from the family’s apartment. The more independent you wish to be, the more you may eventually miss the safety, security and support which family life can provide. Based on your detailed housing questionnaire, the Associate Director tries to place you in the type of situation you prefer, given the possibilities that are available. All rooms are single rooms, but some families will accept two students in two single rooms. Although the families you will be staying receive payment for your room and board from Junior Year in France, we make a constant effort to contact families who are interested in students as people rather than simply as income-producing boarders, and we depend on students to evaluate the families at the end of each year. Most of them have housed Junior Year in France students before. We renew contracts only with those who have tried to make the students feel welcome and look after their health and comfort. A large part of your experience consists of your immersion in French society. It is up to you to make an effort to establish a real relationship with your French family. You must show an interest in them and observe basic courtesies, and they will respond by warming up to you. Talk with them regularly about your courses, your activities, French and American politics and whatever might be of interest to them. Participating in family life means helping to set and/or clear the table, taking out the trash from time to time, or asking if the family needs anything when you are going to the market or the super12­

market, visiting relatives, going for a weekend to their country home, etc. If you refuse several of these offers they will think that you do not wish to be included in any of their activities and will stop inviting you. In the same way, tell the truth: if you do not like one particular food item, tell them gently. If you don’t they may think you like it and you my find it regularly on the table. Try to establish good and frank relations from the beginning. French cooking deserves its good reputation, and your hostess will try to prepare meals that please you once she understands your tastes. At table, if the family’s talk upsets you (jokes about Americans, constant discussions on immigrants and racial issues in France, etc.), let them know, again as nicely as possible, that you feel uncomfortable, but remember that French people love arguing; they often do it for fun without strong feelings for one position or another. You may find the same person arguing one point one day and the opposite one the next day. The purpose of the discussion is not to convince the others but to show one’s debating skills. One point should be emphasized: receiving friends, especially of the opposite sex, in your room or your French home, will be frowned upon by most families. If you plan to receive someone or a group of people, you should ask the permission of your hostess first, and remember that you are responsible for any damage incurred. This is a big adjustment for most college students who have lived away from home, either in apartments or dormitories, for several years. Consuming alcohol alone or with a friend in you room behind closed doors, without first notifying the host family is also problematic. You will be having demi-pension, that is, breakfast every morning and dinner six days a week [students like to reserve a couple of evenings to have dinner with friends.] Breakfast in France consists of café au lait, tea or chocolate, bread or biscottes,

HANDBOOK

butter and jam. Families are not obliged to provide eggs, cereals, fruit or yogurt. You should be on time for evening meals, which vary in length according to the families’ schedules. If you are going to a play or if you are returning from a late afternoon class, you should inform your hostess in plenty of time so that she can arrange for you to eat earlier or later. If you miss a meal, your hostess has no obligation to leave you a tray or to make it up later, although many will. Remember that most hostesses will not grant “refrigerator privileges.” Do not dive into the refrigerator as you might do at home. Discuss the policy with your host family. During official school vacations, you will be allowed to stay at your host family’s home (even if they themselves are absent), but the host family is not expected to provide meals for you. MUSICIANS: In the past, musicians have had problems practicing. A few of the host families have pianos but neighbors often object because apartments are not soundproof. Practice rooms in Paris are difficult to find and often expensive. However, the Institut de Musique Liturgique at the Institut Catholique de Paris rents studios with pianos for between 8 to 10 Euros an hour ($10 to $13). Students taking classes at the Institut de Musique pay half price. It is also possible to rent studios near the Sweet Briar offices. Violins and cellos can be rented in Paris. The minimum rental period is three months. The monthly cost: 14 Euros ($18) for a violin, 27 Euros ($35) for a cello. The fee includes insurance with a 30 Euros ($38) deductible. Deposits are between 400 to 450 Euros ($500 to $575) for a violin and 1000 Euros ($1,300) for a cello. More than 90 percent of the students are in French homes. However, if your life- style or eating habits conflict with traditional French family life, you may wish to consider the following options:

B. Independent Housing with Cooking Facilities

These rooms are generally reserved for students who have dietary restrictions or whose lifestyles are incompatible with French family life. A student wishing to have sleep-in guests should not choose this option since the owners, families who live in the same building, expect the rooms to be occupied by one person only. IF having

sleep-in guests is your priority, you should choose to rent your own room, studio, or apartment (see C., “Independent Housing” below) and notify the Virginia office by May 15 (November 10 for spring semester students). The independent room with cook-

ing facilities option will be finalized at the end of the Tours session. Priority will be given to year students. If your housing option does not include meals, JYF will refund you the difference between your rent and the room and board we pay families. This refund is more than adequate. NOTE: STUDENTS, NOT JYF, ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE THEY CAUSE IN THE HOMES.

C. Independent Housing

In the past certain students have had their own apartments or studios or have chosen to live with relatives, family friends, etc. If you prefer this option to living with a family, you must settle this in writing with the Virginia office by May 15 (November 10 for spring semester students). We will require your parents’ and your college’s approval.

In this case you must find your own accommodation and make your own financial arrangements; the bill you will receive from the Junior Year in France or your college will reflect a credit for independent room and board. If you have not yet found housing by the time the group moves to Paris, we will help you find a cheap hotel where you can stay until you find a studio or an apartment.

13­

junior year in france

Note: After May 15 this option will no longer be open to you since we need to know in June the number of places that we will reserve for housing.

Please

note that many students, who

at first think it will be romantic to live by oneself in an independent studio, quickly discover that it may be very lonely and time-consuming.

Many

landlords require a one-year lease plus

a hefty deposit and you will have to deal with the telephone, power, gas, and water companies. to

Our experience is that it is not a valid way save money.

Important: When housing you, we try to respect your preferences expressed in the Housing Questionnaire. The housing questionnaire must be returned to us by April 15 (November 10 for spring semester students). It is imperative since we must make our commitments with families before the end of this academic year.

5. Communicating with the U.S. In an emergency parents can send messages through the Fax machine in our Paris office [011-33-1-45 49 27 52] or call the cell phones of the Resident Director and Assistant Director (numbers will be provided). Birthday and Valentine wishes do not constitute emergencies!

A. Parcel Post Packages

It is preferable to send small packages to the Junior Year in France office in Paris. It sometimes takes two months for a parcel-post package to be delivered in France from the U.S. Air packages are delivered more promptly, but the postage is naturally higher. Do not send packages to the Junior Year in France office in Tours. The Institut de Touraine is not allowed to accept parcels for students and the packages will be returned to the sender. Shipments from non-European Union countries whose declared value exceeds 50 euros are subject to customs duty and value-added tax, both of which can be hefty (around 33% of the value). Clothing should always be declared as “Used personal effects,” with no commercial value, (declaring it as such means you cannot insure it.)

14­

If you send a Eurail Pass or a plane ticket, do not declare a value; you should however send it Certified or Registered mail. We regret that our Paris office cannot accept large parcels insured for over $55 sent from the U.S. via FedEx, UPS or similar companies. Students often have to pay huge

customs duties and Value Added Tax.

B. Mail Service Between the United States and France

An airmail letter to Paris will take about seven days. UPS, overnight, and two-day mail is very costly and depends on weight.

C. E-mail

At the SBC-JYF offices, you will have access to the Internet by WI-FI. There are also computers and printers available for your use in the reading room. Keep your existing home/college e-mail account for access from France. If you decide to create a new e-mail address in Paris, please send it to the various offices on your home campus and to JYF office in Virginia so that they may communicate with you quickly and easily.

D. Cell Phones

While it is possible to survive without a cell phone, JYF strongly recommends that students obtain a cell phone during their semester or year in France. This is not only for convenience sake, but especially for security reasons. It also enables us to contact students quickly in case of an emergency. For a foreigner to have a cell phone plan in France, s/he must have a bank account. Otherwise, s/he must have a cell phone whose minutes are recharged by card. In France and all over Europe, as long as you are in your phone’s “home country” (i.e. the country whose company provides your service), you do not pay to receive calls. More complete information on cell phones will be provided during the orientation program.

HANDBOOK

6. Receiving and Spending Money A. Receiving Money from the United States There are several ways of obtaining funds from the U.S. in a painless, convenient and without-charge manner: 1. The easiest way is through Automated Teller Machines (ATM) American bank cards (Plus, Most or Cirrus). Depending

on what kind of bank account you have in the States, a service charge for each withdrawal may be assessed, but the inter-bank exchange rate is often used, which is very favorable. European machines require a four-digit PIN (Personal Identification Number); if your PIN has more than four digits, ask your bank to issue one that has only four (use figures, not letters for your PIN number, since French ATM machines do not show letters). You should also be aware that there is a limit to the amount that can be withdrawn each day or each week (normally 300 euros/day), and some students have encountered difficulties with the machines (or their cards.) 2. Another way is through the American Express office, 11, rue Scribe, 75009 Paris (near Place de l’Opéra). With an American Express Card, a student can write out a check from his/her home checking account (or a travelers’ check) and American Express will cash the check for its value in Euros. 3. Funds can also be obtained with a Visa or Mastercard. Discover is not yet accepted in France. From either a bank teller or a machine you can take cash advances against your credit. As this is normally expensive where interest is concerned, having your parents credit your card account before you take the withdrawal will save you interest.

Banks throughout Europe offer different exchange rates for different currencies and traveler’s cheques, so shopping around is advisable before exchanging large sums

of money. NEVER use a Chèque Point de Change (small change shops for tourists)! Their rates are up to 75 centimes less than the best bank. Always check or ask about commission before you exchange, too, because there are plenty of banks that don’t charge for exchanging money but some that charge up to 10 percent (and more for small sums). Points de Change often post very advantageous rates, but those are the rates for buying dollars, not selling them. Exchange Suggestions: In Tours, Banque de France, rue Nationale. In Paris, the exchange booth on the ground floor of the Alliance Française; the Banque de France, 43, Boulevard Raspail, at Métro SèvresBabylone, near the Alliance Française.

B. Spending Money

A monthly allowance of between $600 and $1,000 (depending on your life style and the value of the dollar) is recommended to cover seven lunches and one evening meal per week in Paris, books and school supplies, laundry, dry cleaning, bus and métro fare, postage, movies, etc. Of course some of these expenses are not absolutely necessary. In fact every year some students tell us that they only spent between $150 and $200 a month. Students in last year’s group who traveled in Europe during Christmas and/or spring vacation spent between $500 and $1,000 on these vacations. Please note: during the Christmas and Spring vacations, the Junior Year in France pays room, but not board, for students. Students usually can make individual arrangements with their hostesses if they intend to stay in Paris during the vacations.

Dollars and Euros: You may use ATM machines; check your home bank for fees.

The Bank of America is affiliated with the BNP Bank in France and therefore there are no service fees for ATM cash withdrawals.

However, at no time should you keep large amounts of cash on you or in your room, either in euros or dollars.

15­

junior year in france

7. Holidays and Holiday Travel

French universities do not publish their calendar until summer or early fall, and sometimes change their calendar during the year. There are usually two two-week vacations, one around Christmas and New Year, the other in the spring (usually April). In addition, some schools close for a one- week break (late February-early March). The academic year comprises a total of 24-26 weeks and is divided into two semesters. We cannot inform you in advance of the exact calendar, which can also change in case there are strikes or other unplanned events. We will send you the definitive calendar in early August. The following are the vacations you can count on. During fall semester, there is a one-week vacation around la Toussaint – All Saints Day (November 1), and a two-week vacation at Christmas. During the spring semester, there is a one-week vacation around Carnival (late February-early March) and another one-week vacation around Easter (mid to late April). Exams take place after Easter vacation. Several national or religious holidays are also observed: All Saints’ Day (November 1), WWI Armistice Day (November 11), Easter Monday, Labor Day (May 1), V.E. Day (May 8). When the holiday falls on a Tuesday or a Thursday, the French often have “ponts”, i.e. schools, shops and offices close down the Monday preceding or the Friday following the holiday. During long weekends students usually travel in small groups to various places in France and in Western Europe. Students must inform JYF administrators in Paris by email of all travel outside of the Paris area.

Most students use budget airlines to travel in Europe. However, train travel can be pleasant provided you have more than a few days available. There are a number of railroad passes available depending on your destination. The most advantageous are Eurail Global Pass Youth, Eurail Global Pass Youth Flexi and Eurail Select Pass Youth. They allow unlimited travel in 20 countries (not Great Britain or most of Eastern Europe). Complete information and current fares are posted on the Web at: www. raileurope.com, www.railpass.com or other 16­

websites. Passes can be bought through those websites or from any U.S. travel agent. Passes must be validated within six months from the date of purchase and can only be purchased in this country. Parents or friends can buy them and send them to the student. Passes should be sent certified mail as documents. If you declare a value, the student will have to pay more than 30 percent in duty and V.A.T. Important: Each year a number of students return to the United States for winter holiday celebrations. We discourage this because of the problems students face upon their return to France. For some students it is very difficult to readjust when they come back to Paris because of the jet lag, the cold January weather, and the academic responsibilities they must face. The hectic city often contrasts unfavorably with the security and comfort they have left behind. Many become discouraged and depressed, while their counterparts who remain in Europe experience little or none of these effects. There are many advantages to staying in Europe for winter vacation: an opportunity to ski in the Alps, to have an extended visit to other countries, to travel with new friends, to see how Christmas is celebrated in Europe, or to introduce your own family to your new environment.

8. Safety During Your Year in France

You are expected to cooperate with the efforts of the Sweet Briar staff to assure your comfort and security. Up to now, Paris has not been a very dangerous city. There are however frequent police spot-checks of identification papers in public places such as subways. Students should carry at all times a copy of their U.S. passport and visa. If a policeman does not

accept those as valid documents (and they are not!), you will usually have 24 hours to bring the originals to the police station. You should never carry large amounts of money, credit cards or driving licenses you do not need. Do not put your wallet or purse in the outside pocket or in the top part of a backpack. Men should not carry their wallet in their back pocket. Pick pocketing is the most frequent petty crime. Never leave your bag

HANDBOOK

unattended, even in the Junior Year classrooms or reading-room: we cannot control entrance to the building. A money-belt or neck-wallet securely hidden under your clothes is the safest way to carry money and documents. Women should get a reasonably sized shoulder bag that can be held up against the body, under the arm. Like all large cities, the later you stay out, the greater the danger you are in. Travel with a companion at night and stay in populated, welllit areas. At 2 or 3:00 a.m., the streets are almost deserted and become more dangerous. Be especially cautious if you have been drinking. Women should never walk alone late at night.

Although threats of terrorism have abated, France, like most European countries, has been, in the past, the target of political terrorism. Terrorism still exists in some parts of Europe. Although students are usually at a relatively low risk of being targets, we believe you should take some precautions: 1. In public places be alert: look around, get away from any package or baggage which appears abandoned and report it to an employee or a policeman. Do not leave your bags unattended. Do not go, as a group, to the same café or bar every night. 2. Never accept to carry, look after, or store a parcel or a suitcase from anyone you do not know very well. Do not borrow suitcases. Never accept to drive a car for someone else, especially across international borders. 3. Report to our staff any unusual conversation with strangers.

Your host family may have expensive security lock systems. If you lose your key, the lock may have to be changed and this can cost several hundred dollars, which you will have to pay. Be careful and for obvious reasons avoid carrying your key in or with anything that identifies your Parisian address. During your Junior Year many of you will do more travelling than you have ever done. Hitchhiking is no longer safe and must be avoided. In large cities be as careful as you would be in large American cities: the nice man offering to carry your bag may run away with it once he has his hands on it. Be aware at all times of your surroundings. If your instinct

tells you that a situation is uncomfortable, leave immediately. In conclusion, don’t be naïve, but, on the other hand, don’t let paranoia ruin your year! Your parents and friends and the administration of the Junior Year in France will feel reassured if you take a few precautions. WARNING: In the métro you will see people who don’t seem to be paying, but jump over the turnstiles. Do not copy them. If you get caught by an inspector you may be in for a very unpleasant experience and a fine higher than the cost of a monthly pass — about 50 Euros.

9. Relationships

During your stay in France some of you will make some very good friends. These types of strong friendships are not only encouraged, but can lead to eventual future exchanges (letters, cassettes, trips, etc) between you and your newfound friends. Nevertheless, please keep a few words of caution in mind: Be careful of persons wanting to make your acquaintance very quickly, as they may have an ulterior motive. Meet people in public places, during the day, preferably with a friend or two of yours. Do not give out your host family’s phone number or address freely, or the name and address of the Junior Year in France, as this can lead to problems for not only you but your host family and the Junior Year in France as well. If pushed, give a wrong address and a wrong phone number. Agree to meet the person at a specific time and place. Entering into a relationship overseas should be approached with the same precautions as at home. It can be very tempting to be charmed by the idea of a once-in-a-lifetime European romance, but you should consider any relationship carefully, particularly when you are overseas. There are different cultural values and rules regarding dating and relationships. Proceed cautiously, realizing that you are only in the country for a limited period of time. If you do enter into a long-term relationship, we recommend that you also see how the relationship functions in the United States after your return home and are no longer acting as a guest in a foreign country.

17­

junior year in france

Please be aware that in any type of relationship, whether heterosexual, bisexual, or homosexual, you could end up with a sexually transmitted disease, such as AIDS (“le SIDA” in French). Be sure that you know the person very well before developing a more intimate relationship and always demand that you both take necessary precautions. Remember that AIDS is as prevalent in Europe as it is in this country, and that young women are now the fastest growing group of AIDS victims. For Additional Information on AIDS consult:

• The AIDS Hotline of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at 1-800-342-AIDS or • at www.paho.org/english/ad/fch/ai/ aids.htm or www.aidsinfo.nih.gov

10. Health

The health questionnaire is very important. It will help our Paris office and the local doctors serve you better. Please make sure that you and your physician completes it thoroughly. Take all possible precautions to ensure that you are in good health before departure. The intensive work, the changes in climate and food, different living habits, and less material comfort make demands on even the strongest constitutions. Dental work should be attended to before departure. If you wear glasses, you should have your eyes re-examined if necessary and take an extra pair of glasses or contact lenses. It is also important that you take along the prescription for the lenses.

Bring essential prescription medicine. Most non-prescription remedies are easily available in pharmacies. Brand-name drugs are difficult to clear through customs if sent by mail. If you need any kind of medicine, which will not keep for a whole year (for instance insulin), bring your prescription and enough medicine for five weeks. In Tours you will have an opportunity to discuss your needs with a physician. Once you are in Paris a physician will renew your prescription. The Junior Year in France does not employ doctors, psychologists or psychiatrists on its own staff. The Paris office keeps a list of reli18­

able English-speaking practitioners and will refer students. The confidentiality of the relationship between patient and doctor is absolute. The Junior Year in France observes this rule of medical ethics and will not discuss or release information to anyone without the patient’s permission. In particular if a student is hospitalized or treated by a doctor, a psychologist or a psychiatrist, he/she will be encouraged to contact his/her parents. However, if he/she refuses, the staff of the Junior Year in France will not contact the parents, except in a life-threatening situation or if the student is physically unable to do so himself/herself. The Resident and Assistant Directors have the authority to require the withdrawal of any student whose physical or mental condition prevents him/her from participating normally in the program. Important: Every

year one or two students suffer

some kind of emotional problems.

Psychologists

tell us that in almost every case the student had had similar problems in the

U.S.

and had been

consulting a psychologist or a psychiatrist.

They

ask us to stress that, if one has problems to begin with, in

Paris

the additional pressure and fatigue,

anxiety, etc. can tip the scale and lead to bigger problems.

Some American

psychologists have a

tendency to equate a year of study abroad with a year of relaxation and change of pace, and sometimes actively encourage students who have problems at home to go abroad, believing that a change of scenery will cure the problems. This may be true in a very few cases, but generally speaking the opposite happens. If in recent years you have had emotional problems or eating disorders, we urge you and your family to consider very carefully whether or not you are up to facing the unavoidable additional stress a year abroad would entail.

These remarks obviously concern only a very few students. The immense majority of students, in spite of some frustration, setbacks, unexpected difficulties, will spend a wonderful and rewarding year in France. From past experience, we know that for most of you it will be the best of your college years.

HANDBOOK

Group Medical Insurance

All students will be covered by a group accident and health insurance policy. The insurance is administered by Cultural Insurance Services International in Connecticut, and underwritten by Virginia Surety Company. Benefits provided include the cost of medical treatment in and out of the hospital up to a maximum of $ 50,000 with a zero deductible. It also provides for a maximum of $50,000 for medical evacuation or repatriation. The policy does not cover pre-existing conditions, routine physicals, dental work or eye problems not caused by an accident, claims arising from the influence of drugs or alcohol, etc. Students are only covered while they are abroad; therefore if a student goes back home during vacation or because of an emergency, he or she is not covered while in the United States. We strongly recommend that parents who have other policies for their son or daughter continue their protection in order to be more adequately covered, especially for pre-existing conditions. A copy of the Certificate of insurance will be sent during the summer, and each student will receive an insurance card upon arrival in France.

11. Sexual Harassment

In the Junior Year in France context, sexual harassment can be defined as any unwanted sexual advances from anyone in power over any aspect of your stay, including your living arrangements and your educational environment. Anyone who feels harassed by another student, a staff member, a faculty member or a member of his or her host family should notify the Resident Director, the Associate Director, or, if necessary, the Director of the Junior Year in France at Sweet Briar College. Unfortunately we cannot do much about the kind of harassment, which may take place outside our offices, our classrooms, and our host families. Women should be warned that some of them might encounter harassment in crowded places like the public transportation. The best way to avoid harassment is to look

French and speak French. You will notice that on the public transportation people avoid eye contact and do not smile. Do the same. Foreign women are seen as easy targets by males who are in fact insecure: these men believe that, even when they themselves are not French, their use of the French language is better than the woman’s. To counter this, always speak French with your American friends, and do not answer a taunt: a nasty look is often the best answer. Again don’t walk home alone late at night. Don’t attract unnecessary attention. Dress, act, and speak French. Unfortunately, even these precautions will not prevent all instances of this type of harassment from occurring, but being forewarned may diffuse the level of annoyance.

12. Alcohol

American students have the unfortunate reputation of drinking too much. In France, parties where the only real purpose is for students to get drunk are not as common as on American campuses. There is little tolerance for this kind of attitude. In the majority of cases students who get into trouble (accidents, sexual assaults, damage to property, etc.) do so because of alcohol. If several JYF students are in a place where excessive drinking takes place, they will be equally responsible for anything happening. Each Junior Year in France student is expected to be responsible for the safety and welfare of other Junior Year in France students. In particular “Bring your own bottle” parties are strictly forbidden in the host family dwelling as well as during the SBC JYF organized group excursions (in the bus, train, or in hotel rooms). No alcohol is allowed in hotel rooms during JYF excursions. Any student organizing such a party will be immediately dismissed from the program. If you wish to invite a few friends for a party while your hostess is absent, you must secure her permission beforehand, tell her the exact number of friends you expect, and what you expect to serve. Any deviation from this rule is ground for dismissal. A JYF pledge regarding alcohol and drugs must be signed during orientation.

19­

junior year in france

13. Drugs

Drugs are illegal everywhere. Sweet Briar College will not tolerate the use of drugs or proscribed chemical substances. Innocent persons associated with the individual directly involved may be liable for penalties. According to the Justice Department, every year more than 3,000 Americans are arrested abroad. Of those more than 1,000 are charged with drug-related offenses and are incarcerated for long periods of time. The bail system does not exist in most countries. Some students have the interesting idea that Americans are immune from local laws and that, if they are arrested; U.S. Embassy officials can ‘spring’ them from jail. This is far from the case: diplomatic representatives can only try to obtain humane treatment and legal representation. And students whose parents might have ‘saved’ them from an arrest in the United States find foreign jails not so ready to release them. In countries where poor officials believe American parents will do anything to get their children out of jail, false arrests are a problem. Travelers have been thrown in jail for entering an Islamic country with alcohol, or buying or using drugs — an offense punishable by death in some places. A JYF student will be placed on probation and/or dismissed from the program if drugs are used in the host family dwelling.

IV. Preliminary Reading and Study 1. United States

We urge you to do some independent reading on the history and culture of the United States because the American student abroad is often asked about institutions and events in the U.S. Topics of interest:

• Family life, living conditions, social customs

• Class, social and economic distinctions in the U.S.

• Education in the U.S. 20­

• The fine arts and entertainment in the U.S. • Industry, labor, farming • Foreign affairs

• Government and politics

• Health and social security

2. Suggested Readings on France Two of the best Web sites on France are:

Hapax: French resources on the Web, maintained by Sweet Briar Professor Angelo Metzidakis at hapax.be.sbc.edu and the site maintained by Professor Guy Spielmann at Georgetown University: www.georgetown.edu/spielmann

Go first to the section “France, a cultural primer” for an excellent discussion of many dos and don’ts in everyday life, and “La phrase complexe” and “Les pratiques textuelles” for a presentation of various exercises required in French universities. A must read! Professor Spielmann teaches a course that prepares students to study in France. The Web site includes material used in this course. If you own a good French/English dictionary, you should bring it with you. You can also buy one in France: • “Harrap’s Concise College French and English Dictionary”

• “Collins-Robert French-English, EnglishFrench Dictionary” • “Larousse Concise French/English • English/French Dictionary

You will also need a French-French dictionary: • “Dictionnaire de la Langue Française Lexis, Larousse” • “Larousse Classique” • “Petit Robert”

• “Petit Larousse Illustré”

If you have a good French grammar book, bring it with you, as well as “Larousse de la Conjugaison” or “Bescherelle, L’Art de conjuguer.”

HANDBOOK

V. Academic Planning

This section is designed to help you understand something of the French University system and other institutions of higher learning in Paris. It is vital to the success of your year that you make a serious effort to study the various points covered. After you have read it, please go to your academic adviser at your home college and discuss with him or her the courses you would like to take in Paris. As most French institutions do not announce their course offerings until some time during the summer, we cannot at this time guarantee specific courses that will be available. However, we can indicate the fields of study open to Junior Year in France participants (inside back cover) and will send you a selection of courses list of preceding year (or see Web site, www. jyf.sbc.edu). After you have studied this section, the selection of courses list, and discussed it with your Academic Adviser, please complete the tentative program of study in Paris form in triplicate. Return the original to the Junior Year in France Virginia office by April 15 (November 10 for spring semester students) along with your Housing Questionnaire. Keep one copy of the form for yourself [and take it to France] and give your Academic Adviser the other, as you may wish to discuss it with him/ her by correspondence once you start organizing your work next fall in France. It is very important that we have this information at the time requested in order to make plans for your enrollment in one of the Paris universities. Delay in complying with this request may result in your not being enrolled as a regular student. The French have placed a strict deadline for enrollments of all international students.

Your cooperation in this matter is absolutely essential. Study in France is primarily a process of self-instruction and independent study comparable to graduate work in the U.S.A. Most French professors assume that students are at the university to learn. They are hardly interested in making you an étudiant malgré vous. Remember that by the time they enter univer-

sity French students have already chosen their major and most of them are ready to work independently to pass their exams. Most professors usually provide a bibliography of the material to be discussed, but the responsibility for reading it lies entirely with you. In some courses there is very little required reading and written work until the middle of the semester. The student is supposed to work independently. Students sometimes feel that a course is poor, but in many cases they have not taken the initiative and have continued to wait for the professor to tell them what to do. Students are responsible for their own learning, professors are there to guide them, give them a method and check the results of this individual process of education.

1. Course Load and Advising

The academic year comprises a total of approximately thirty-two instructional weeks and is divided into two periods:

I. For FULL year and FALL semester students, the preliminary program in Tours lasts two weeks and consists of between 25 and 30 hours of classroom instruction. For SPRING semester students an intensive preliminary period in Paris lasts approximately one week and consists of about 20 hours of classroom instruction. No credit is awarded for spring orientation.

II. The academic year in Paris, beginning in mid-September, which lasts for approximately twenty-eight-plus weeks excluding the Christmas and spring vacations, and is divided into two semesters. Some French universities still offer some courses on a yearly rather than a semester basis. Students will organize their program for Paris according to individual academic interests and needs; there may be no two programs alike. Students are expected to take a normal load of courses: a normal program consists of 4 units per semester [a unit cor-

responds to a 3 hour semester course] plus one unit for the preliminary session in the fall. Some colleges may require their students to take an additional course during one or both semesters. Please check with your advisor, since the Resident Director cannot

21­

junior year in france

be aware of the policies of every college or university represented on the program. If you study the descriptions of the various courses listed in this section, you will be better informed before your consultations with your home college advisor and, in France, with the Resident Director. Students receiving Federal financial aid through the Junior Year in France or their home college (grants or loans) are reminded that they must take a full load of courses [that is a minimum of four courses each semester]; if they take fewer courses they may jeopardize their financial aid. On the other hand, the Junior Year in France discourages students, except in exceptional cases, from taking more than five courses each semester. What might be termed a “classical” Junior Year in France program is one in which, each semester, the student takes one or at most two courses from the group of special Sweet Briar offerings and two or three from other sources, for example, one or two at a Paris university and one or two at another institution. We do not normally allow any student, except in the most unusual circumstances, to take all courses from the Sweet Briar special offerings. Taking some work from the French institutions is a broadening educational experience, which, despite certain frustrations, gives deeper insight into France and its education system. When you arrive in France, you will have your first individual conference with the Resident Director, to begin planning your program. She will discuss with you any new documentation she has for the courses you listed on the tentative program form you filled out in the U.S. or discuss other possibilities if necessary. At the beginning of November and March, you will be asked to fill out an official individual schedule of courses. This schedule will be sent to your home college adviser and will be used to write your official transcript. The Resident Director must approve any changes made after that date in writing. If a student drops a course to substitute another before the deadline, the new course only will be reported on the final transcript. On the other 22­

hand, if a student drops a course but does not replace it, the grade will be recorded as an F. Please note that this rule was recommended by the Advisory Committee of the Sweet Briar College Junior Year in France. For some courses, in particular studio courses, the deadline to withdraw without penalty may be much earlier. These deadlines will be given to you in Paris.

1. Preliminary Sessions A. FALL Orientation Session

All year and first semester students are expected to participate in this session unless they have been excused by the Virginia office of the Junior Year in France at the time of admission. The teaching staff is composed of professors from the Université François Rabelais and the Institut d’Etudes Françaises de Touraine. Although it includes a strong language component, the preliminary program is not a mere intensive language session. It is designed to prepare you for living and studying in France during the academic year. You should remember that what you are doing outside the classroom is of equal importance as formal study in achieving the above purpose. You will be living in French homes, hearing French spoken, trying to adjust to new living conditions, making new acquaintances, etc. Although this is not a formal educational situation, it is nonetheless very valuable and will help you make progress in your mastery of the French language and your understanding of the country and its people.

The academic program in Tours Work in language and culture:

Before you arrive in Tours you will be given a placement test online and placed in a section of the course: Expression française, which will meet every morning, Monday to Friday. This course will involve grammar, vocabulary building, writing and various

HANDBOOK

written and oral exercises. At the end of the fall preliminary sessions your professor in the course on Expression française will give you a final grade based on your work in class and your attendance. Students who successfully complete the fall preliminary sessions will receive recommendation for one unit (equivalent to one semester course) of academic credit.

B. Spring Preliminary Session

All Second-semester students are required to participate in this session. Because some courses at the Sorbonne will begin by mid-January, the JYF preliminary session is shorter and more intensive. No credit is awarded for this orientation program.

3. Academics in Paris A. Preparation for Work in a Paris University

Before departure you will have chosen one of the following four methodology courses: Cours de méthodologie en littérature, Cours de méthodologie en histoire, Cours de méthodologie en histoire de l’art or Cours de méthodologie en sciences politiques. These courses will meet for one and a half hour every afternoon Monday through Thursday. In these courses you will be trained to do the exercises that will be required of you in Paris universities: commentaires composés, fiches de lectures, dossiers, exposés, dissertations, etc.

B. The University of Paris

As a consequence of laws passed in the late sixties and early seventies, the University of Paris, founded c. 1200 A.D., is now divided into 17 separate universities (8 in Paris, 9 in the surrounding area). Each university is composed of several Unités de Formation et de Recherche [U.F.R.s], Instituts, Centres or Départements corresponding roughly to individual departments in American universities. The universities usually concentrate on certain fields of

study [Orientation]. The Junior Year in France has agreements with the Universities of Paris III (Sorbonne Nouvelle), IV (Paris-Sorbonne), VII (Denis Diderot), and Université Paris Dauphine. It is impossible for a student to take course work in a university other than the one where he or she is officially enrolled: if you are registered at Paris III, you are not allowed to take courses at Paris IV; however you may take courses at other institutions such as the Institut Catholique, the FACO, the Institut Goethe, etc. The assignment to a particular university is based on the information supplied by you on the enclosed tentative program of study in Paris form. Once a student is assigned to a university, changes cannot be made. French regulations require that this assignment be made before May 1 or December 1 for second semester students. It is essential that you fill out your tentative program of study very carefully and that you return it to us no later than April 15 (November 10 for spring semester students). If you fail to comply with the deadline and communicate with the JYF about specific courses before you arrive in Paris, they may not be able to register you for the courses required by your American college or university. organization of university studies in

France:

The first three years of university study in France correspond approximately to the junior and senior year in the United States and are called the Premier Cycle, leading to a diploma called the Licence. Students with the Junior Year in France usually elect courses from the Premier Cycle, either in the Première or Deuxième année. • The Deuxième Cycle leads to the Maîtrise, similar to the American Master of Arts degree.

• The Troisième Cycle is of longer duration and leads to various types of doctoral degrees.

23­

junior year in france

• These two latter cycles correspond to the American graduate level and in most cases are not open to Junior Year in France students, unless their preparation in the field and their level of written and spoken French are excellent. Registration in French universities is accomplished in two steps:

1. The Inscription administrative. 2. The Inscription pédagogique.

When you arrive in France, we have already taken care of your Inscription Administrative and you are registered in one of the Paris universities as an étudiant régulier. Many courses, especially at the University of Paris IV, are taught as lectures (Cours magistraux) which may accommodate up to 200 or 300 students, accompanied by smaller discussion sections [Travaux dirigés, usually called T.D.s] with 15 to 40 students. Note that the T.D. does not automatically cover the whole cours magistral. Other courses, especially at Paris III and VII, meet in smaller groups in the manner of American courses. You must generally go to the particular U.F.R. (Unité de Formation et de Recherche, i.e. Department) to sign up for a specific T.D. section or a particular course. As étudiants réguliers, you are supposed to do the same work as French students: written work (plans détaillés, dissertations, fiches de lecture, commentaires de textes, etc.), oral work (exposés), end of semester exams (partiels, examens de fin de semestre). In some cases, because there may not be enough slots for all French students to present an oral exposé during the semester or the year, the professor may replace the oral exposé with an oral presentation in his office or an extra written assignment. University courses end around May 25. The Junior Year in France ends on May 30. For French students official final examinations may take place throughout the month of 24­

June. Professors usually give you a special examination or a final paper if the official examination takes place well after May 31.

It is your responsibility to ask the professor what is required in order for you to receive a final grade and credit for the course.

Fall semester classes end just before Christmas with examinations following in January. JYF students typically do not take January exams in Paris because they take place when they have to be back in the U.S. to start their spring semester at their home college or university. Spring semester classes end around the third week in April, with examinations taking place during the first three weeks of May. At the end of the fall semester, JYF students are evaluated by a special examination or final paper since they will be leaving by Christmas time. During spring semester, however, they take regular final university exams. Important: Some courses and T.D.s are offered late in the evening (up to 7 p.m., or even after dinner). If you make arrangements to baby-sit for a family or work as an unofficial part-time au pair, remember that you may not be free every day after 4 p.m. There are usually no classes on Saturday. Tutorials:

Students taking courses in French literature, art history, history, political science, international relations and economics will have tutorials [consultations] provided by the Sweet Briar Junior Year. These provide the opportunity to report to the consultant on your progress or any problem you may be encountering in the T.D. The consultation usually requires a short paper [4-5 pages, called a mémoire] on a subject connected with the course and agreed on by the student and tutor. This paper will constitute part of the grade for the course. JYF students should contact the Resident Director if they feel they need a tutor after

HANDBOOK

the professor has corrected their first written work. The Resident Director will try to arrange who will try to arrange individual or group tutorials. Foreign Language Study:

Students wishing to take a foreign language other than French should understand

that they will learn that language as a French rather than as an English speaker. Many American students have found this a disadvantage and have consequently been unhappy with their progress, especially at the elementary and intermediate levels. Therefore we will NOT allow you to

begin the study of a foreign language in France, unless your home college requests

it (for instance if the language is not taught at your home college). We will not grant credit for a single semester of beginning language.

If you plan to study a foreign language at the intermediate level, you should be aware that you will encounter many difficulties stemming from the fact that French universities concentrate on teaching majors, especially in the more common languages. On the other hand, continuing the study of a foreign language beyond the intermediate level has proved more satisfactory for Junior Year in France students, especially in literature and civilization. Even there, some of these courses are taught entirely or partially in French. Moreover language courses in France usually include translation (from and into French), and this may prove difficult for students of Spanish, Italian, or other languages. A Word of Caution

It is your responsibility to find the information as to time and place of a course. That information will be posted on the bulletin boards of the departments’ secrétariats. The secretaries will do their best to post any last-minute changes, cancellations, or make-up sessions in time for you to know about them, but it is your responsibility to

consult the boards. Be patient and keep your sense of humor to avoid frustration and discouragement. The administration of the Sweet Briar College Junior Year in France will do what it can to help you overcome as many difficulties as possible. Undergraduate Departments

Below you will find the names and specializations [Orientations] of each of the universities of Paris where students with the Sweet Briar program have studied. The addresses given are those of the main building. Courses are often taught in other parts of Paris. Addresses of the various departments will be given upon arrival in Paris. Departments are listed on the inside back cover. PARIS III [Université de la Sorbonne Nouvelle]

Centre Censier, 13, rue Santeuil, 75005 Paris Web site: www.univ-paris3.fr Specialization [Orientation]: Langues, lettres et civilisations du monde moderne PARIS IV [Université de Paris-Sorbonne]

1, rue Victor Cousin, 75230 Paris CEDEX 05 Web site: www.univ-paris4.fr

Specialization [Orientation ]:

Lettres et arts, civilisations, langues

PARIS VII (Université Denis Diderot)

16, rue Marguerite Duras, 75013 Paris CEDEX 13 Web site: www.univ-paris7.fr Specialization [Orientation]:

Médecine, odontologie, sciences exactes et naturelles, lettres et sciences humaines Université Paris Dauphine

Place du Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny 75775 Paris Web site: www.dauphine.fr Specialization [Orientation]:

Gestion et Economie appliquée

25­

junior year in france

C. Other Schools and Institutes Ecole

du Louvre

34, quai du Louvre, 75001 Paris Extremely well-prepared year only art history majors may consider taking courses at the Ecole du Louvre. This institution is a highly specialized school for the preparation of art historians and curators of museums. We do not recommend that students register for a course at this institution unless

they have previously taken highly specialized courses in art history at an advanced

level in college. Work is at the advanced graduate level. The only grade you receive is for the final exam. Institut Catholique

21, rue d’Assas, 75006 Paris The Institut Catholique is the Catholic University of Paris, founded in 1875. It offers programs in a number of disciplines. Students of all faiths are welcome, and members of the Junior Year in France have for many years elected to take courses there. A distinct advantage of the Institut Catholique is that classes in general are small, and the students frequently are able to get to know the professor personally. Only one course per semester is normally allowed for JYF students, unless preapproved by the Resident Director. Ecole Internationale Française

de Langue de

L’Alliance

101, boulevard Raspail, 75006 Paris Each semester the Ecole Internationale de Langue et Civilisation Françaises of the Alliance Française offers a course in French phonetics: Phonétique: théorie et pratique which meets once a week for a lecture and twice in individual language laboratories for private correction sessions with Alliance Française instructors.

26­

Goethe-Institut

17, avenue d’Iéna, 75116 Paris

Founded in 1951, the Goethe-Institut is charged by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany to manage German Cultural Centers in foreign countries. The Paris center offers German language courses at all levels.

Instituto Cervantes

7, rue Quentin Bauchart, 75008 Paris

The Instituto Cervantes, which manages Spanish cultural centers throughout the world, offers Spanish language courses at all levels, as well as literature, civilization, film and business courses. Centre

de Langue et

Culture Italienne

4, rue des Prêtres Saint-Séverin, 75005 Paris

The CLCI, in conjunction with the Italian Embassy, offers language, civilization and literature courses.

D. Courses Offered by the Sweet Briar College Junior Year in France

The courses listed below are taught by well-known French authorities in their field and are ordinarily open only to students participating in the Sweet Briar College Junior Year in France. In some instances, enrollment is limited because of the nature of the courses. Detailed descriptions of each course are found on the website: www.jyf.sbc.edu. Please note that enrollment of less than six students in a course may be cause for cancelling it. Likewise, the program reserves the right to cancel any of these courses and add new courses due to any unforeseen circumstances.

HANDBOOK

French Language:

• Atelier d’écriture

• Phonétique: théorie et pratique (offered by the Alliance Française for JYF students) Art History:

• Panorama de la création artistique en France jusqu’au début du 20e siècle

• Impressionnisme et post-impressionnisme

Theatre:

• Initiation au théâtre parisien French Civilization:

• Histoire de Paris à travers ses monuments International Relations:

• La France dans l’Europe • L’Union Européenne

• Systèmes internationaux au 20e siècle • France/Etats-Unis

E. Studio Art, Music and Other Performing Art

The institutions and schools listed below are not the only ones open to students of the Junior Year in France, but they are among those in which we have in past years been able to place students, and which they have found useful to their needs. We call your attention to the fact that the Junior Year in France over-all fee does not include the cost of individual art, dance and music instruction which do not result in academic credit [see the JYF Bulletin p. 10.] Piano rentals and studio supplies are generally not covered. Except for majors in art, music, dance, theatre and other performing arts, students will be allowed to take only

one studio course per semester within a total of five courses: a studio course cannot be a

sixth course. A studio art major may take two studio art courses within the total of five courses. The Junior Year in France grants credit for studio courses on the same basis as other courses, i.e. one unit of credit for a course

meeting approximately 3 hours per week for a semester. However students should be aware of the policy of their own home institution: some schools will not grant full credit for such courses and may require more hours of presence. Other schools will not grant academic credit for studio courses taken in France. Please check your school’s policy. Studio Art • Union des Arts Decoratifs (Ateliers du Carrousel): drawing, painting, watercolor, print-making, calligraphy, ceramics, etc. • Atelier Terre et Feu: pottery, sculpture, modeling

• Atelier de la croix Nivert: drawing, painting, sculpture

• Speos: introduction to black and white photography and darkroom and studio technique Music

• Schola Cantorum: offers classes in most instruments, voice, modern jazz and courses in composition, analysis, and history of music.

The University of Paris IV has a Department of Music and Musicology which, in addition to courses in music theory and history of music, offers students (even if they are not registered at Paris IV) the opportunity to participate in the Chœur et Orchestre de l’Université de Paris-Sorbonne (COUPS). An admission test and audition are given in early October. Dance • Centre De Danse De Paris [Salle Pleyel]: offers instruction in classical and modern dance under the direction of Paul and Yvonne Goubé, with professors such as Roland Duflot and Roland Vincent of the Opéra de Paris. • Maitrise de Danse Dominique et Janine Solane: offers instruction in classical dance.

27­

junior year in france

• Schola Cantorum: offers instruction in classical and modern dance, classical under the direction of Eufémio Pasanisi, modern under Karen Waehner.

N.B. The Universities of Paris III [Sorbonne Nouvelle], Paris IV [ParisSorbonne] and Paris VII (Denis Diderot) also offer courses in dance through their Departments of Physical Education. Theatre • Ecole Florent: offers courses in dramatic arts for year students only. • Ecole Jacques Lecoq: offers courses in acting technique, corporal expression, mime, mask theory and dramatic arts.

N.B. The University of Paris III [Sorbonne Nouvelle] offers a complete program in the theatre arts

F. Independent Work

Students may undertake independent study projects under the direction of a faculty member of their home college. Grades and credit will be determined by the home college. Approval and arrangements for the latter project must be obtained prior to their departure from the United States and the written approval for the project sent to the Virginia office of the Junior Year in France.

G. Internships

Each year Sweet Briar College JYF offers internships to Junior Year in France students during the second semester. Interns are selected by the Junior Year in France. Students must have a faculty sponsor on their home campus. Although no credit is

granted for the internship itself, one unit of credit is granted for the research paper which accompanies the internship. The grade will be determined by the Director of the internship, JYF Resident Director, and the faculty sponsor. The faculty sponsor on the home campus will evaluate the research paper. In past years, students have been

28­

placed with several senators, in ministries, town-halls, at the C.N.R.S, the Institut de l’Enfance et de la Famille, the Green Party, the Socialist Delegation in the European Parliament, the newspaper La Croix, the Communauté Juive de Paris, the Ligue des Droits de l’Homme, S.O.S. Racisme, the M.R.A.P, the A.C.A.T., etc... Interested students should check that their college grants credit for such a research paper and contact

a possible faculty sponsor before the end of the school-year. Students should keep free two full days (or 10-12 hours) per week to accommodate the internship in their schedule. If they do not, they will not be considered for an internship. A course to prepare students for internships will be offered by JYF. Students are required to take three academic courses plus this preparatory course once a month.

H. Assistantships in French High Schools

Students interested in serving as assistants to French teachers of English during the whole year or the second semester should notify the Resident Director. The amount of time involved has varied from two to six hours a week. Students have been placed in junior or senior high schools, both in Paris itself and in the suburbs. Students have worked with teachers in lessons which involved principally oral practice.

I. Grading

Please refer to page 4 of the Junior Year in France Bulletin, “Examinations, Grades and Credit.” Grades from the various French institutions are sent to the Paris office of the Junior Year in France where they are converted to letter grades according to a conversion scale that has been devised over the years by the Junior Year in France in consultation with the French institutions. This conversion chart is forwarded to each student’s home college along with the official transcript. Please note that grades for courses in the performing and studio arts are

HANDBOOK

reported on the basis of Distinction, Satisfactory, or Unsatisfactory. The Junior Year in France Advisory Committee unanimously agreed that a pass/ fail option should not be available for the Junior Year in France.

Note: Early exams are NOT allowed. A student who does not take a SBC JYF exam will receive a zero for the final, which comprises one third of the final grade in that course.

29­

junior year in france

CHECKLIST IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO ALL DEADLINES INFORMATION SHOULD BE RETURNED TO: THE JUNIOR YEAR IN FRANCE SWEET BRIAR COLLEGE SWEET BRIAR, VA 24595: DATE to Return by (YEAR) (SPRING)

WHAT TO RETURN

April 15

(Nov. 10)

Housing Questionnaire (1 copy)

__________

April 15

(Nov. 10)

Tentative Program of Study in Paris (1 copy)

__________

April 15

(Nov. 10)

Choice of Courses in Paris

__________

Information from Parents (2 copies)

__________

Photographs – passport size (8)

__________

April 15 (Nov. 10)



May 1 (Nov. 10)

DONE

[These have been sent to your parents in their information packet but the sheets require the student’s signature also.]



[Please print your name on back of each photo in pencil.]

May 15 (Nov. 10)

[If applies.]

Independent Housing (written request)

__________

June 1

(Dec. 1)

Passport copy (1 copy)

__________

June 1

(Dec. 1)

Medical Report Form

__________

June 15

(Jan. 10)

Transcripts (2 official copies)

Aug. 15

(Jan. 5)**

Special sheet/visa information, etc.

__________

Aug. 15

(Jan. 5)**

Arrival in Washington DC Sheet

__________



As soon as you receive your visa, please send a photocopy to the Virginia Office.

__________

__________

** THESE TWO SHEETS WILL BE SENT TO YOU DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS FOR RETURN TO JUNIOR YEAR IN FRANCE BY AUGUST 15 (YEAR AND FALL) (JANUARY 5 (SPRING)

30­

HANDBOOK

NOTES

Copyright 2012-2013

31­

List of Subjects Available in the Various Paris Universities, Institutes, and Specialized Schools African and Afro-American studies: Paris III [Littérature générale et comparée], Paris VII [Histoire; Sciences de la Société]

Geography: Paris IV, Paris VII History: Paris IV, Paris VII

Anthropology: Paris VII, Institut Catholique

International Affairs: Paris III, Université Paris Dauphine

Archeology: Paris IV

Linguistics: Paris III, Paris VII

Art History: Paris IV

Literature:

Audio-Visual: Paris III, Paris VII Biology

and

Biochemistry: Paris VII

Business: Université Paris Dauphine Chemistry: Paris VII Cinema: Paris III, Paris VII

Comparative: ��Paris III, Paris VII [Textes et documents] French: ������������Paris III, Paris IV, Paris VII [Textes et documents] Other: ��������������see Foreign Languages and literatures

Classics: Paris IV

Mathematics: Paris VII

Computer Science: Paris VII

Music and Musicology: Paris IV, Schola Cantorum, Institut Catholique

Dance: Paris III, Paris IV, Paris VII, several schools [see p. 27] Economics: Paris III, Paris VII, Université Paris Dauphine

Philosophy: Paris IV, Paris VII, Institut Catholique Physics: Paris VII

Education: Institut Catholique

Political Science: Paris III, Paris IV

Environment: Paris VII

Psychology: Paris VII

Ethnology: Paris VII, Institut Catholique Foreign Languages and Literatures: Arabic: Paris III, Paris IV, Paris VII, INALCO

Religion: Paris VII; Institut Catholique;

Institut Protestant de Théologie

Sciences: Paris VII

Chinese:

Paris VII

Sociology: Paris VII; Institut Catholique

German:

Paris III, Paris IV, Paris VII, Goethe-Institut

Theatre: Paris III; various ateliers [see p. 28]

English:

Greek:

Hebrew: Italian: Japanese: Latin:

Portuguese: Russian: Spanish:

Paris III, Paris IV, Paris VII

Paris IV

Paris III, Paris VII, Institut Catholique

Studio Arts: several ateliers [see p. 27] Women’s Studies: Paris III (Littérature fran-

çaise), Paris IV (Anglais), Paris VII (Sociologie, Etudes Anglophones]

Paris III, Paris IV, Section Italienne de l’E.I.E.C Paris VII Paris IV

Paris III, Paris IV Paris IV

Paris III, Paris IV, Paris VII, Instituto Cervantes

32­

Junior Year in France

Sweet Briar, Virginia 24595

Tel: 434-381-6109 • Fax: 434-381-6283 [email protected] • www.jyf.sbc.edu