First Week of Classes - So Far, So Good

As I wrote in my first post, I'll be doing some catch-up blogging this week (I hope) about orientation and my early thoughts on Paris. For now though, I just wanted to do a quick rundown of my classes now that I've had at least one meeting for all of them.

• French Language (TIP)

The mandatory (for semester students) course at Tufts. We're concentrating on how to do assignments the "French way," so it's not as much the advanced grammar class I was expecting as it is a lot of totally foreign work. But the teacher is nice and it's only with other Tufts students, so it shouldn't be too bad.

• Art History (TIP)

I've never taken an art history course before, but felt that I should, and what better place to do so than PARIS?! This semester is mostly about Impressionism and involves trips to museums almost every class period (Louvre, Musée d'Orsay). The professor definitely knows her stuff -- she was also our tour guide during several orientation trips -- and although I've heard some complaints from year-long students who had her last semester, I think it will be an interesting class.

• History of Political Ideas in the 20th Century (ICP)

After first trying "20th Century Economic History" and finding myself completely lost during the lecture, it was a relief to go to this class and actually be able to understand what was going on. In the French university system, most courses are split into two sections, the cours magistral, which is a huge lecture where the professor just talks the whole time, and the travail dirigé or TD, which is a smaller section with some discussion and also where tests and papers are done. For this course, the professors for the CM and the TD are different, but both seemed happy to have American students and the subject matter is interesting and easy enough to understand.

• History of Education in France (UP1)

I'm interested in education, but my knowledge is very limited to the American system, so I thought this course would be a good look into another quite different "school" of thought (pun intended). It is a year-long course, but I'm able to jump in and just learn the history from the mid-19th century, when primary schooling became mandatory, through today. The professor is the same for the CM and TD in this one, and though he was a bit harder to understand, I felt like I understood the majority. I also met another American student, but he's been studying in Paris for 2 years, so I think that will be a good link.

Overall, classes seem okay so far. The first day, especially in the huge lectures, surrounded by tons of French kids who apparently feel the need to talk throughout class, was definitely intimidating and mentally draining. As I get used to it, though, and just hear French more and more, the comprehension should get a lot easier. I just hope the assignments/grading aren't too hard...