The story of my studies in France
Daria, a French philology student at the University of Helsinki, did an Erasmus exchange in Paris, at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University. Despite a shortened stay due to the pandemic, she made the most of her exchange, which was characterized by cultural discoveries, travels, exchanges with other students -experiences that will be useful in her professional career and throughout her life! Here is how she tells her story.
My name is Daria, I am of Russian origin and four years ago I moved to Helsinki. I graduated at the University of Economics and Finance in St. Petersburg and worked for six years in human resources management. My move to Finland meant a new start in my life. I remembered that I loved French and had always wanted to use the language.
I studied the language at the French language school for ten years and then at the University of Economics and Finance for two years. But after finishing my studies at the university, I could not find a job where I could use French. For some years I only practised the language twice when I was in France. According to the OLS test I took before I went on exchange, my level is C1, and after my trip, my level is still the same.
Currently, I study at the University of Helsinki. My major is French philology, and my minor is Finnish language and culture. I entered the University of Helsinki in August 2018. I spent the second semester of the second year of my degree in Paris, at the University Sorbonne Nouvelle - Paris 3. My university course included a compulsory language internship in a French-speaking environment, now this internship is not compulsory anymore. There are four forms: 1 month of full-time language study, 1 month of work in French, 2 months of free stay and ERASMUS exchange. The University of Helsinki has a partnership with six French-speaking universities, four in France and two in Belgium.
I chose to study as an exchange student because I have always dreamed of studying in Paris, especially at the Sorbonne. I like big and lively cities. The rich cultural life of Paris also inspires me. I wanted to see the daily life in Paris and experience that life as well. Besides, I thought that travelling to other regions would be easier. Indeed, I tried to immerse myself in cultural life: I went to museums, theatres, guided tours of the neighbourhoods, conferences and other interesting events organised by the university and the student life service. The Sorbonne Nouvelle's cultural action service offers reduced-price tickets, so you should definitely take advantage of this possibility. In addition, I travelled to Strasbourg, and this trip is engraved in my memory, it is a university town, pleasant and amazing. Unfortunately, the health crisis forced me to cancel my trips to Lyon, Annecy and Normandy and to return to Helsinki after spending 2.5 months in France.
When President Emmanuel Macron announced the closure of schools and universities, the Sorbonne Nouvelle asked foreign students to return to their home countries. I left for Helsinki on 15 March. The university administration ensured pedagogical continuity: all the teachers of my courses sent files for independent work and the exams were organised remotely too. Thus, I had no difficulty in continuing my studies.
Despite the interruption of my stay, I am happy with this experience because I lived the Parisian life and I discovered several cultural and societal particularities. I could have spoken with the other students earlier and more actively, but I didn't dare to do so at the beginning of my stay. And when I finally established relationships with some students, the pandemic started and I had to leave.
After my exchange studies I will continue my studies at the University of Helsinki and I intend to improve my French and Finnish language skills. In the Master's degree, I would like to start pedagogical studies to work as a French teacher. The second option in my mind is to use my knowledge and experience in human resource management and find a job in Finland in a company related to France.
So I recommend studying in France, it is a unique opportunity to broaden your world view, discover an exceptional culture and have an interesting stay. And what is important is that the Finnish State, the ERASMUS exchange programme and the French State offer financial aid to students. So it’s possible to focus on studies and have an enjoyable experience at the same time.
