First Week of School

Rue St-Guillaume, Street to main buildings

The bookstore "La librarie" and the Library "La bibliotheque" (a bit confusing!)

                         

Main Building, easy identifiable by the hordes of students milling around outside of it at all hours

Unfairly just around the corner from school, so I can drool over 600 euro dresses daily.

Les Deux Magots, famous café

A chocolate shoe I saw today! I couldn't help but put this up...

Bonjour tout le monde,


In case it is of interest to all of you out there, I'm going to talk a little bit about my first week of classes at Sciences Po. Technically it's already one day into week two, but my Monday class was cancelled (which I didn't remember until I was sitting alone in an empty classroom at 12:30...) so I have only had each class once so far! Unlike the glorious Colorado College, where 9-12 is reserved for all things academic, my classes here happen at all times of the day. The noon ones, I enjoy, the 7:15-9:15 PM ones, I do not. Luckily, I made sure not to schedule any before 10:15 AM. Waking up early has never been my strong suit.


Before I came to Sciences Po I assumed that the campus, being in the heart of the 6me, or 6th district of the city, would be similar to NYU – somewhat integrated into the city, but dominating of a two block radius at the least. I could not have been more wrong. Sciences Po is fairly easy to miss. The buildings are spread out throughout a very posh, commercial district. I pass Ralph Lauren and Armani every morning, as well as the clients sitting and smoking outside of their respective cafés, on my way to class. The main Sciences Po building has a modest sign above the door, as do the library and student bookstore. However, the other buildings don't even go so far. One just has to follow the map, walk into the courtyard and look for lots of fashionable students smoking and speaking a variety of european languages. It's nice, in a way, to feel as though you are part of the city. Rushing down the street past the famous café Les Deux Magots, I pass so many tourists stumbling along with their heads in a map. For the first time, I am not one of them. In fact, I'm often late for class on Rue des Saint-Pères, so I feel perfectly legitimate when I shout out, "PARDON MESDAMES!"



Speaking of class, this is what I am taking this semester. Apparently you're allowed to take 4-6 classes, however, I either didn't quite understand this or was just overexcited and signed up for all 6 without really thinking. One class at a time, six classes at a time, what's the difference? (I will soon find out...) Also, I chose to obtain the French/English certificate. In order to do so I have to follow some regulations about my classes, including that at least 40% of my classes have to be in french. This semester I'm taking the minimum of two in french, but I hope to take 3-4 in french second semester. 


My classes are:


1. Structures and Crises in the Middle East (Lecture accompanied by a conference, each once a week)
2. Global Public Goods (23 person elective)
3. Guerre et Paix dans le Village Global ("War and Peace in the Global Village," elective)
4. Democratic Change and Authoritarian Resilience in North Africa (elective, a comparative politics class on Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria)
5. Redefining the International Community: From Humanitarian Intervention to a Responsibility to Protect (elective)
6. Francais, Niveau 3 (french language class, level 3)


There was the option of also taking seminar style classes, which have usually 40-50 students, but I decided to stick with electives because I found the subjects more interesting, and figured the small class sizes would be nicer, more reminiscent of CC. Oh and I also signed up for "yoga debutant" (beginner's yoga – missing CorePower, clearly).  That's all for now, going to put up some photos and go to sleep. And for next time, I think I might write about the food here. This will naturally require some field research on my part... I haven't been to Lauderée yet!


Grand bisous, ("big kiss")


Ariella