sweet briar college handbook - Sweet Briar College JYF in Paris

SWEET BRIAR COLLEGE
JYF IN PARIS
AND NICE
SINCE 1948
HANDBOOK
Please read this handbook prior to your
departure for France and bring it with
you.
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 our Paris, Nice, and Virginia offices: Registrar’s
Office, Dean’s Office, Dean of Students’ Office, Study Abroad Office,
major department(s), academic adviser(s), etc. French telephone
numbers are given as dialed from the U.S.
Sweet Briar College - JYF
34, rue de Fleurus
75006 Paris, France
Tel: 011-33-1-45-48-79-30
Fax: 011-33-1-45-49-27
Sweet Briar College - JYF
Université de Nice - Carlone
98 Boulevard Edouard
Herriot
Bureau H66
06204 NICE, France
[email protected]
Tel: 011-33-4-93-37-55-28
JYF in Paris and Nice
Sweet Briar College
Sweet Briar, VA
24595
Tel: 434-381-6109
Fax: 434-381-6283
[email protected]
[email protected]
Revised May 2015
2
Table of Contents
I. Pre-Departure Formalities ...................................................................................................................... 5 1. Photographs Required ........................................................................................................................................ 5 2. Applying for Your Passport ............................................................................................................................... 5 3. Applying for the Student Visa for France ........................................................................................................ 5 4. International Student Identity Cards ................................................................................................................ 7 II. Departure & Luggage .......................................................................................................................... 7 1. Clothes and Miscellaneous Articles ................................................................................................................... 8 2. Electrical and Electronic Appliances ................................................................................................................ 8 3. Other Articles ...................................................................................................................................................... 8 4. Personal Effects Insurance ................................................................................................................................. 8 III. Living in France ..................................................................................................................................... 9 1. First Stop: Tours ................................................................................................................................................. 9 2. Housing and Living Arrangements in Paris and Nice ................................................................................... 10 A. Private Homes ................................................................................................................................................ 10 B. Other Housing Options .................................................................................................................................. 11 3. Communicating with the U.S. ......................................................................................................................... 12 A. Packages......................................................................................................................................................... 12 B. Cell Phones .................................................................................................................................................... 12 C. E-mail ............................................................................................................................................................. 12 D. Mail Service Between the United States and France .................................................................................... 12 4. Money ................................................................................................................................................................. 12 A. Receiving Money from the United States ...................................................................................................... 12 B. Spending Money ............................................................................................................................................ 13 5. Holidays and Holiday Travel ........................................................................................................................... 13 6. Safety During Your Year in France ................................................................................................................ 13 7. Relationships...................................................................................................................................................... 14 8. Health ................................................................................................................................................................. 14 9. Sexual Harassment ............................................................................................................................................ 15 10. Alcohol.............................................................................................................................................................. 15 11. Drugs ................................................................................................................................................................ 16 IV. Academic Planning .......................................................................................................................... 16 1. Course Load and Advising ............................................................................................................................... 17 A. Fall (Orientation Session in Tours) ................................................................................................................ 17 B. Spring Preliminary Session ............................................................................................................................ 17 C. The Academic Year ....................................................................................................................................... 17 2. University Studies in France ............................................................................................................................ 18 3. Other options available in your curricular or co-curricular program ........................................................ 19 A. Studio Art, Music and Other Performing Arts ............................................................................................... 19 B. Independent Work .......................................................................................................................................... 19 C. Internships ...................................................................................................................................................... 19 D. Assistantships in French Schools ................................................................................................................... 19 4. Grading .............................................................................................................................................................. 19 V. Preliminary Reading and Study ......................................................................................................... 20 1. United States ...................................................................................................................................................... 20 2. Suggested Readings on France ........................................................................................................................ 20 VI. “Votre” Ville: Paris and Nice ............................................................................................................. 20 PARIS ..................................................................................................................................................................... 20 1.Program Administrators in Paris ................................................................................................................... 20 2. Academics in Paris ............................................................................................................................................ 20 A. Preparation for Work in a Paris University .................................................................................................. 20 B. The University of Paris .................................................................................................................................. 20 C. Other Schools and Institutes .......................................................................................................................... 21 D. Courses offered by the Sweet Briar College JYF .......................................................................................... 22 3. Living in Paris ................................................................................................................................................... 22 NICE ....................................................................................................................................................................... 26 1. Program administrators in Nice ...................................................................................................................... 26 A. The Resident Coordinator .............................................................................................................................. 26 B. The Academic Consultant .............................................................................................................................. 26 2. Academics in Nice ............................................................................................................................................ 26 A. The University of Nice Sophia-Antipolis ...................................................................................................... 26 B. Studio, Art, Music and Other Performing Arts .............................................................................................. 27 C. Courses Offered by Sweet Briar College JYF ............................................................................................... 27 3. Living in Nice ..................................................................................................................................................... 27 4
YOU SHOULD READ THIS SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL VERY CAREFULLY
If you have any specific questions, please do not hesitate to contact the JYF in Paris and Nice office at
Sweet Briar, VA: Tel (434) 381-6109, e-mail: [email protected]
I. Pre-Departure Formalities
1. Photographs Required
It is imperative that the JYF office in Virginia receives eight
(8) passport-size photographs no later than May 10
(November 1 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 Universities of Paris and Nice.
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. Please send actual
photographs–not scans.
2. Applying for Your 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:
http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/English/passports
.html
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 (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, 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
http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/passports.
renew.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
SPRING
SEMESTER
STUDENTS).
THIS
IS
IMPORTANT. DO THIS EVEN IF YOU TRAVEL TO
FRANCE INDEPENDENTLY. WE NEED THIS TO
REGISTER YOU IN THE UNIVERSITIES.
Bearers of non-American passports should see the section
on p. 5 below.
3. Applying for the Student Visa for France
This process involves several steps.
A. Register with Campus France. ATTENTION: As
of March 1, 2007, you MUST enroll with CAMPUS
FRANCE USA in order to obtain a long-stay student visa.
YOUR SHOULD REGISTER AS SOON AS YOU HAVE
BEEN ACCEPTED INTO THE JYF PROGRAM. Visit
www.usa.campusfrance.org to learn more and to register. You
will receive a Campus France ID number. You must then
complete a five-page document online and send in a money
order to Campus France in Washington D.C. Do not delay
registering or you may not receive clearance in time to apply
for a visa at the French Consulate.
B. Watch for the visa packet and keep it in a
safe place. As soon as the JYF office has secured proof of
your admission from the appropriate branch of the Paris or
Nice University, we will send you a visa packet, which
includes many of the documents you will need to secure your
visa.
C. Identify the appropriate consulate. In order to
remain longer than ninety days, anyone planning to study in
France must have a long-term visa. The location of the
consulate to which you apply for your student visa depends on
your place of residence. Check the visa information page on
HANDBOOK
the JYF Website at www.jyf.sbc.edu. The number that
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.
D. Visit the website of the appropriate French
Consulate corresponding to your place of
residence (you can access their websites at: ambafranceus.org/intheus/consulates.asp). There you will find the
application forms for a student visa and be informed of the
fees for the visa.
You may not apply for your visa until you have your
passport and until you have received your visa packet from
JYF. 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).
You will be asked to complete the application in French
(see a sample on the website at www.jyf.sbc.edu). Address
your inquiry to: Consulat Général de France à [name of city],
Service des visas. On question 24, page 2 of the application,
indicate the name and address of
the branch of the
University where you are registered (see the Attestation
d’inscription which will be sent to you). The addresses for
the Université de Paris are:
• Université Paris III (Sorbonne Nouvelle), 13, rue Santeuil,
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
The address for the Université de Nice is:
• Université de Nice – Carlone, 98 Boulevard Edouard
Herriot, 06204 NICE
E. Make an appointment online with the
appropriate consulate and bring the items listed
below for the interview. MAKE A COPY OF ALL
DOCUMENTS BEFORE YOU BRING THE ORIGINALS
TO THE CONSULATE. All consulates will require that you
appear in person for a visa 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 least August 31 of next year; spring semester
until December 31.
2. Visa application form 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 or Nice institution of higher
education (sent to you by the Virginia office of the JYF).
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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) (fee will
be approximately $120-$150, and 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.
IMPORTANT: The originals of the documents you submit
for your visa will be returned to you by the French Consulate.
KEEP THE ORIGINALS AND MAKE AT LEAST 3
COPIES OF ALL DOCUMENTS THAT YOU SEND TO
OBTAIN A VISA. AS SOON AS YOU RECEIVE YOUR
VISA, PLEASE SEND A PHOTOCOPY TO THE
VIRGINIA OFFICE OF THE JYF. Keep another copy at
home and 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 consultates require students to complete a form,
the 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 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 costs about 55 euros. 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 the OFII or have the
medical exam.
IMPORTANT: JYF cannot be responsible for the very
serious problems that 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.
Sweet Briar College
JYF IN PARIS AND NICE
Bearers of Non-American Passports
Bearers of non-American passports should call the French
Consulate for special requirements. Due to possible delays in
processing the visa, these students 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 for fall or year, or October 15 for spring semester
students) and check with their own consulates with regard to
visas for France and travel in Europe outside of France.
Students who 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 that 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. International Student Identity Cards
JYF will issue a temporary student identity card to each
participant in the program upon arrival in France. Later you
will receive a card from your French 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 USA website
at www.myisic.com
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 be combined
with the more complete insurance coverage included in the
JYF fee (see “Group Medical Insurance” p. 15). 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 Hostelling International office nearest to you (or
apply online) at: www.hiusa.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. Lightweight sleep sacks are
available at many sporting goods and travel stores.
II. Departure & Luggage
Fall semester and academic year students traveling with
the group to Paris are scheduled to leave on an Air France
flight from Washington, DC, Dulles Airport in late August
arriving at Paris Charles-de Gaulle Airport the next morning.
Students in the fall or year Nice program who wish to join the
group flight may do so for an additional fee. (There is no
group departure for either program for the 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 and parents is scheduled at the departure hotel.
Baggage check-in time for fall and academic year students
will be announced later in the summer. 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 participants. Others
will be in the same situation and will be pleased to meet you.
Fall and academic year students in the Paris or Nice
program traveling independently should plan to meet the
group in Tours in late August. (Spring semester students
should arrive in Paris or Nice in mid-January—dates and
detailed instructions will be sent in the months prior to
your departure.) Independent travelers cannot join the group
at Charles de Gaulle airport since the number of seats on the
buses is limited and the buses are supplied by the travel agent
for the exclusive use of students traveling with the group.
Students traveling 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 traveling from Paris to
Tours will be provided at a later date.
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU SEND YOUR
COMPLETE FLIGHT ITINERARY IN ADVANCE TO
BOTH THE VIRGINIA JYF OFFICE AND TO THE
RESIDENT DIRECTOR; AND THAT YOU NOTIFY
BOTH OFFICES OF ANY CHANGES.
Currently, international airlines allow one carry-on bag
(no more than 21” x 14” x 8” with a maximum weight of 26
7
HANDBOOK
lbs.) plus a personal item—a purse, camera case, or computer
bag. You should plan to bring one large suitcase in addition to
your carry-on. It is not recommended to check two bags; there
is a significant 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). JYF 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 travelers 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. You will be surprised by how much you
can do without. 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.
• a copy of this Handbook (also available online)
1. Clothes and Miscellaneous Articles
PERSONAL COMPUTERS: Once you are registered as a
student at your French University, you will be given access to
their Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi is also available in the Paris office. If you
have a laptop, we HIGHLY recommend that you bring it with
you to France. Computers, laptops or otherwise, should not
be sent by mail to France since you will have to pay
exorbitant duty.
What you bring will depend to a certain degree on your
lifestyle. French students dress much as American
students do. You should probably plan to include the
following in your suitcases:
• 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)
• easy-care fabrics and practical colors recommended
For Women:
• two or three nice outfits for plays, dining out, and other
“special events”
For Men:
• a suit and tie (or blazer and slacks) for special occasions
Miscellaneous for Both Men And Women:
• bathing suit
• backpack is essential
• slippers, warm sleepwear
• a sleep sack, if you intend to stay in youth hostels
• camera
• travel journal
• photos from home as these are nice to share with your host
family and friends.
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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 any equipment
that must run at a given speed (electric clocks, for example)
will not operate properly on French power. Dual voltage
razors, hair dryers, curling irons, etc. 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. Most laptop computers have built-in voltage
converters, but you will need to obtain a plug adapter (round
prongs).
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.
3. Other Articles
SPORTS EQUIPMENT: Bring a ski outfit if you plan a
trip to the mountains during winter or spring vacation. Sports
equipment, such as skis and boots, ice-skates, and bicycles
can be rented for occasional use. Avid tennis players or
skaters may want to bring their racket or inline skates.
GIFTS FOR HOSTESSES: While not required, it is a
nice gesture to bring 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 bring 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
Sweet Briar College
JYF IN PARIS AND NICE
while you live in France. If you have no general coverage,
you should secure such insurance through a general insurance
agent or any travel 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 leaving the baggage claim area and 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 have 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-ofdate 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. Due 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
sometimes 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 JYF does its best to help
you cope with your adaptation, 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
approaches 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
JYF, as a large, well- established 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.
1. 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 or a 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 for the next two weeks 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 in Tours. 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 you at the airport or in the
bus. During the stay in Tours you will receive a demipension, i.e. room, breakfast, and evening meals. You will
have another JYF 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
9
HANDBOOK
or Nice. You will also be required to sign a document
indicating that you have read and understood the rules
regarding alcohol and illegal drugs. You may want to buy a
Michelin Guide Vert to start visiting the city and the area,
which is nicknamed le Jardin de la France, or to rent a
bicycle to see the surrounding countryside noted for its
châteaux and vineyards. Within easy reach are places such 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 Plessisles-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. 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. 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 those students studying in Paris;
students in the Nice program will spend the weekend in Paris
before traveling to Nice by train.
2. Housing and Living Arrangements in Paris
and Nice
A. Private Homes
We believe that residing in private homes is the best
arrangement for students who 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, to living 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 that family
life can provide. Based on your detailed housing
10
questionnaire, the Associate Director or Resident Coordinator
tries to place you in the type of situation you prefer, given the
possibilities that are available. All rooms are single rooms,
but occasionally some families will accept two students in
two single rooms. Although the families with whom you will
be staying receive payment for your room and board from
JYF, we make a constant effort to recruit families who are
interested in students as people rather than simply as incomeproducing boarders, and we depend on students to evaluate
the families at the end of each year. Most of our families have
housed JYF 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, asking if the family needs anything
when you are going to the market or supermarket, 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 may 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 you find some comments
provocative, try to 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 always 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 your room
behind closed doors, without first notifying the host family
is also problematic.
As in Tours, you will receive a demi-pension, that is,
breakfast every morning and dinner six days a week (many
students like to reserve a couple of evenings to have dinner
with friends).
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JYF IN PARIS AND NICE
Breakfast in France usually consists of café au lait, tea or
chocolate, bread or biscottes, butter and jam. Families are not
obliged to provide eggs, cereal, 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.
NOTE: STUDENTS, NOT JYF, ARE RESPONSIBLE
FOR ANY DAMAGE THEY CAUSE IN THE HOMES.
LUNCHES: During your semester or year in Paris or Nice,
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.
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.
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 and in Nice.
The minimum rental period is usually three months. Please
contact our office for information about current rental rates
for instruments since these may change.
B. Other Housing Options
More than 90 percent of the students are in French homes.
However, if your lifestyle or eating habits conflict with
traditional French family life, you may wish to consider the
following options:
1. Semi-Independent Housing with Cooking
Facilities
These rooms, very limited in number, 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 1 for spring semester
students). The independent room with cooking 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.
2. 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 1 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 JYF 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 or Nice, we will
help you find a cheap hotel where you can stay until you find
a studio or an apartment.
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. OUR EXPERIENCE IS THAT IT IS
NOT A VALID WAY TO SAVE MONEY.
IMPORTANT: When housing you, we try to respect
your preferences expressed in the Housing Questionnaire.
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HANDBOOK
The Housing Questionnaire must be returned to us by
April 15 (November 1 for spring semester students). It is
imperative to send us that information since we must
make our commitments with families before the end of
this academic year (even if the final decisions are made
after individual meetings with the Associate Director in
Tours for the Paris program students).
3. Communicating with the U.S.
In an emergency parents can call the cell phones of the
Resident Director and Assistant Director in Paris or of the
Resident Coordinator and Academic Consultant in Nice
(numbers will be provided). Birthday and Valentine wishes do
not constitute emergencies!
A. Packages
If parents send you a Eurail Pass or a plane ticket, they
should not declare a value; they should however send it
Certified or Registered mail.
It is preferable that friends and family NOT SEND
packages to JYF students. The cost of postage for the sender
and the duty that students have to pay often make it less
expensive for students to buy the needed items in France. If
items from the US are truly indispensable, please note these
recommendations:
Friends and family should send small packages to the JYF
office in Paris for Paris program students. They should not
send packages to the JYF office in Tours or to the office in
Nice. Neither the Institut de Touraine nor the University of
Nice can accept parcels for students and the packages will be
returned to the sender.
For students in the Nice program, letters or parcels sent to
you at your host family’s address should bear your host
family’s name and address. This will ensure that the package
or letter will reach you.
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.)
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. Again, students often have to pay
huge customs duties and Value Added Tax.
B. Cell Phones
JYF requires that students obtain a cell phone during their
semester or year in France. Students can purchase a phone for
a reasonable price and buy “minutes” as necessary. Having a
phone is not only a convenience, but is necessary 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
12
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.
C. E-mail
At the SBC-JYF offices in Paris, 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. As a
member of the JYF program, you are on a listserv, and many
important messages will be sent to you from the list. Please
make sure that messages from this list are not treated as
Spam. If you decide to create a new e-mail address in France,
please send it to the various offices on your home campus and
to the JYF office in Virginia so that they may communicate
with you quickly and easily.
Campuses in France will provide access to their network
via Wi-Fi. Most host families also provide Internet access. As
noted above, you should plan to bring a laptop with you.
D. Mail Service Between the United States and
France
Regular mail to Paris will take about seven days. UPS,
overnight, and two-day mail is very costly and depends on
weight.
4. Money
A. Receiving Money from the United States
The easiest way to obtain funds from the U.S. is to use a
debit card at an ATM in France. 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,
which is very favorable, is often used. 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 numbers, 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.)
Many students have found it advantageous to have a Bank
of America debit card. Bank of America has an agreement
with the French bank BNP-Paribas; holders of the Bank of
America card do not pay a commission on withdrawals or
purchases.
ALERT YOUR BANK BEFORE YOU LEAVE! This
will prevent the bank from freezing your account when they
see charges from outside the U.S. It is also a good idea that
Sweet Briar College
JYF IN PARIS AND NICE
the bank know that you are traveling in the event that your
card should get lost or stolen.
Funds can also be obtained with a Visa or MasterCard
credit card, from either a bank teller or an ATM, but this is
more expensive and less practical. The Discover Card is not
yet accepted in France.
Please note that many American credit cards are accepted
in stores and restaurants, but that some machines (for your
Pass Navigo or train tickets, for example) require a French
bankcard only.
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, books and school supplies, laundry, dry cleaning,
bus, métro or tram 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 a
recent group who traveled in Europe during major vacations
spent between $500 and $1,000 on these vacations.
Please note: during the winter and spring vacations, JYF
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.
Please also note: at no time should you keep large
amounts of cash on you or in your room, either in euros or
dollars.
5. 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 oneweek break (late February-early March). During fall semester,
there is a usually one-week vacation around la Toussaint – All
Saints Day (November 1), but not all universities have the
same week off, and the Sweet Briar JYF courses may still be
in session. PLEASE CHECK THE CALENDAR BEFORE
MAKING TRAVEL PLANS. 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 if there are strikes or other unplanned events.
We will send you the definitive calendar in early August (or
late November). Exams for the spring semester take place
some time 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 or
Nice by email of all travel outside of the Paris area. While
it is wonderful to take advantage of the possibility of
travel while abroad, please remember that your course
meetings and course work are your primary
responsibilities.
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 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 you. Passes should be sent
certified mail as documents. If the sender declares a value,
you will have to pay more than 20 percent in duty and V.A.T.
IMPORTANT—for year students: 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 DUE
TO JET LAG, OR THE ACADEMIC RESPONSIBILITIES
THEY FACE WHEN THEY RETURN. 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.
6. 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, nor has Nice.
There are however very occasional police spot-checks of
13
HANDBOOK
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, 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. Pickpocketing is the most frequent petty crime.
NEVER leave your bag unattended, even in the JYF
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, well-lit 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.
Like most European countries, France has been 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 host
family’s address.
During your JYF experience many of you will do more
traveling 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
14
paranoia ruin your year or semester! Your parents and friends
and the administration of the JYF 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.
7. 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, 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
JYF, as this can lead to problems for not only you but your
host family and the JYF 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.
8. Health
The health questionnaire is very important. It will help our
offices in France and the local doctors serve you better.
Please make sure that you and your physician complete it
thoroughly, and remember to indicate allergies.
Take all possible precautions to ensure that you are in
good health before departure. The intensive work, the changes
in climate and food, as well as the different living habits 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 nonprescription 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
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JYF IN PARIS AND NICE
keep for a whole semester or 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 or Nice a physician will
renew your prescription.
The JYF does not employ doctors, psychologists or
psychiatrists on its own staff. The Paris office keeps a list of
reliable English-speaking practitioners and will refer students.
The confidentiality of the relationship between patient and
doctor is absolute. The JYF 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 JYF staff 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 Director and the Associate Director in
Paris (and the Resident Coordinator in Nice) have
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 that study
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.
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 routine
physicals, dental work or eye problems not caused by an
accident, claims arising from the influence of drugs or
alcohol, etc., and it offers very limited coverage for preexisting conditions. 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.
Information about insurance will be sent prior to
departure, and each student will receive an insurance card
upon arrival in France.
9. Sexual Harassment
In the context of your semester with JYF, 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, the Resident
Coordinator, the Academic Consultant, or, if necessary, the
Director of the JYF at Sweet Briar College.
Unfortunately we cannot do much about the kind of
harassment that 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 public transportation people avoid eye contact
and do not smile. Do the same. Foreign women may be seen
as easy targets. To counter this, always speak French with
your American friends, and do not answer a taunt. Again
don’t walk home alone late at night or 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.
10. 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 American students who get
into trouble in France (accidents, sexual assaults, damage to
property, etc.) do so because of alcohol. If several JYF
15
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students are in a place where excessive drinking takes place,
they will be equally responsible for anything happening. Each
JYF student is expected to be responsible for the safety and
welfare of other JYF 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.
11. 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. Academic Planning
This section is designed to help you understand something
of the French University system and other institutions of
higher learning in Paris or Nice. 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 this section, please go to
your academic adviser at our home college and discuss with
him or her the courses you would like to take in France.
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.
16
However, we can indicate the fields of study open to JYF
participants (see below) and will make available list of
selected courses from the preceding year (posted at www.
jyf.sbc.edu).
After you have studied this section and the selection of
courses listed and have discussed it with your Academic
Adviser, please complete the tentative program of study
form in triplicate. Return the original to the JYF Virginia
office by April 15 (November 1 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 French
universities (Paris or Nice). 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.
It is vital that you fill out your tentative program of
study very carefully and that you return it to us no later
than April 15 (November 1 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, the JYF administrators may not be able to register
you for the courses required by your American college or
university.
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. Remember that by the time they enter
university, 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 the works lies entirely with you. In a course on
Molière’s Les Femmes savantes, for example, the professor
will assume at the beginning of the course that you not only
have already read the play on your own, but that you have
read many of Molière’s other plays, as well as some plays by
Corneille and Racine. 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 particular course at the
French university is not as rigorous or as organized as courses
in the States, 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. What you get out of a course will depend on the
effort you put in outside of the classroom.
Sweet Briar College
JYF IN PARIS AND NICE
JYF strongly recommends that you save all material related
to your course (bibliography, syllabus, etc) in case there is
any question about the course content when you return to your
home university.
1. Course Load and Advising
PRELIMINARY SESSIONS
A. Fall (Orientation Session in Tours)
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. All year
and first semester students are expected to participate in this
session unless they have been excused by the Virginia office
of JYF at the time of admission.
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.
The teaching staff is composed of professors from the
Université François Rabelais and the Institut d’Etudes
Françaises de Touraine. This course will involve grammar,
vocabulary building, writing, and various 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 a recommendation for one unit
(equivalent to one semester course) of academic credit.
Although it includes a strong language component, the
preliminary program is not merely an 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 these goals. You will
be living in French homes, hearing French spoken, trying to
adjust to new living conditions, making new acquaintances,
etc. Although this total immersion 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.
B. Spring Preliminary Session
All second-semester students are required to participate in
this session. Because some courses at the French universities
will begin by mid-January, the JYF preliminary session is
shorter and more intensive. No credit is awarded for this
orientation program. For SPRING semester students in Paris,
an intensive preliminary period lasts approximately one week
and consists of about 15 hours of classroom instruction. While
spring orientation for the students in the Nice program does
not normally include subject-specific classes, it too will
prepare students for the academic program in Nice.
C. The Academic Year
The academic year in both Paris and Nice, beginning in midSeptember, lasts for approximately twenty-eight weeks
(excluding the winter and spring vacations), and is divided
into two semesters.
Students will organize their program of study 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 corresponds 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 at your
home institution, since the Resident Director is not
necessarily 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 JYF
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, JYF discourages students, except in exceptional
cases, from taking more than five courses each semester.
What might be termed a “classical” JYF 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
the University of Paris or Nice, and perhaps one or two at
another institution. We do not normally allow any student,
except in the most unusual circumstances, to take 3 or more
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 (or
Academic Consultant for students in the Nice program), to
begin planning your studies. 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 October
and February, you will be asked to fill out an official
individual schedule of courses. This schedule will be sent to
your home college advisor 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 hand, if a student drops a course but does not replace it,
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HANDBOOK
the grade will be recorded as an F. Please note that this rule
was recommended by the Advisory Committee of the Sweet
Briar College JYF.
For some courses, in particular studio courses, the deadline
to withdraw without penalty may be much earlier. These
deadlines will be given to you once in France.
2. University Studies in France
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 JYF usually
elect courses from the Premier Cycle, either in the Première
or Deuxième année.
The Deuxième Cycle leads to the Master, similar to the
American Master of Arts degree. The Troisième Cycle is of
longer duration and leads to various types of doctoral degrees.
These two latter cycles correspond to the American graduate
level and in most cases are not open to JYF students, unless
their preparation in the field and their level of written and
spoken French are truly superior.
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.
Fall semester classes end in mid-December 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
18
end around the end of 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 fall semester students will be leaving by
the end of December. 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
Paris students taking courses in French literature, art
history, history, political science, international relations and
economics will have tutorials [consultations] provided by the
Sweet Briar program. 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 the professor has corrected
their first written work. The Resident Director will try to
arrange individual or group tutorials.
Options for tutorials are limited for the students in the Nice
program. However, students wishing additional assistance
with their courses in Nice should speak with the Academic
Consultant, who will try to arrange for a tutorial.
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 JYF 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
Sweet Briar College
JYF IN PARIS AND NICE
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,
cancelations, 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 JYF will do what it can to help you overcome as
many difficulties as possible.
3. Other options available in your curricular
or co-curricular program
A. Studio Art, Music and Other Performing Arts
The institutions and schools listed below are not the only
ones open to students of the JYF, but they are among those in
which we have been able to place students in past years, and
which they have found useful and rewarding.
We call your attention to the fact that the JYF overall fee
does not include the cost of individual art, dance, and music
instruction, which does not result in academic credit. 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 JYF grants credit for studio courses on the same basis
as other courses, i.e. three credits 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 attendance. Other
schools will not grant academic credit for studio courses taken
in France. Please check your school’s policy.
B. 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 JYF.
Students must have a faculty sponsor on their home campus.
One unit of credit is granted for the research paper and other
work which complements the internship. The grade will be
determined by the Internship Committee, including the JYF
Resident Director, and the faculty sponsor. The faculty
sponsor on the home campus may be asked to evaluate the
research paper. In past years, internships have included work
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 should
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. They should also initially sign up for a fourth
academic class to ensure full-time enrollment in the event
that an appropriate internship is not available.
D. Assistantships in French 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 that involve principally oral practice.
4. Grading
Grades from the various French institutions are sent to the
JYF office where they are converted from a 20-point scale to
letter grades according to a conversion scale that has been
devised over the years by the JYF. 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 reported on the basis of
Distinction, Satisfactory, or Unsatisfactory.
The JYF Advisory Committee unanimously agreed that a
pass/ fail option should not be available for JYF.
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.
C. Internships
Each year Sweet Briar College JYF offers a limited
number of internships to JYF students (particularly in Paris)
during the second semester. Interns are selected by the JYF.
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V. Preliminary Reading and Study
VI. “Votre” Ville: Paris and Nice
1. United States
PARIS
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.
You may be surprised to discover that sometimes your
French friends or host family know more about some
aspects of the US than you do.
Topics of interest:
• Family life, living conditions, social customs
• Class, social and economic distinctions in the U.S.
• Education in the U.S.
• 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
Among the best websites on France is the site maintained by
Professor Guy Spielmann at Georgetown University:
http://faculty.georgetown.edu/spielmag/docs/index.htm
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 Website
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,
English-French
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.”
Good
online
dictionaries
include:
WordReference
(wordreference.com) and Lexilogos, which lists a number of
online dictionaries. The “Trésor” listing on the Lexilogos
Français page (lexilogos.com) is particularly valuable for
working with literary or older texts.
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1.Program Administrators in Paris
The Resident and Associate Director are particularly qualified
to advise you on questions concerning your relations with
your foreign environment.
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
Lucy Hervier
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 helps
organize social events and excursions.
C. The Administrative Assistants
Laura Nunès da Costa & Moira Dalant
The Administrative Assistants in the Paris office answer
general questions, help organize social events, and preform
clerical and secretarial duties.
2. 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 during
the Paris part of the orientation session. 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].
Sweet Briar College
JYF IN PARIS AND NICE
JYF has agreements with the Universities of Paris III
(Sorbonne Nouvelle), IV (Paris-Sorbonne), VII (Denis
Diderot), and Université Paris Dauphine. A student is
normally enrolled at one university only. However, students
may take courses at other institutions such as the Institut
Catholique, the FACO, the Institut Goethe, etc. in addition to
the courses at their Paris university. The assignment to a
particular university is based on the information supplied by
you on the tentative program of study form. Once a student
is assigned to a university, changes cannot be made. French
regulations require that this assignment be made well in
advance. It is essential that the tentative program of study be
submitted by you as soon as possible. Year students may
change universities for the second semester, if necessary.
C. Other Schools and Institutes
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 at the end of this section.
INSTITUT CATHOLIQUE
21, rue d’Assas
75006 Paris
PARIS III [Université de la Sorbonne nouvelle]
Centre Censier
13, rue Santeuil
75005 Paris
ECOLE DU LOUVRE
34, quai du Louvre
75001 Paris
Only 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.
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 JYF 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.
Website: www.univ-paris3.fr
Specialization [Orientation]: Langues, lettres et civilisations
du monde moderne
ECOLE INTERNATIONALE DE LANGUE DE L’ALLIANCE
FRANÇAISE
101, boulevard Raspail
75006 Paris
PARIS IV [Université de Paris-Sorbonne]
1, rue Victor Cousin
75230 Paris CEDEX 05
Website: www.univ-paris4.fr
Specialization [Orientation ]: Lettres et arts, civilisations,
langues
Each semester the Ecole Internationale de Langue et 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.
PARIS VII [Université Denis Diderot]
16, rue Marguerite Duras
75013 Paris CEDEX 13
GOETHE-INSTITUT
17, avenue d’Iéna
75116 Paris
Website: www.univ-paris7.fr
Specialization [Orientation]: Médecine, odontologie, sciences
exactes et naturelles, lettres et sciences humaines
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.
UNIVERSITÉ PARIS DAUPHINE
Place du Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny
75775 Paris
Website: www.dauphine.fr
Specialization [Orientation]: Gestion et Economie appliquée
INSTITUTO CERVANTES
7, rue Quentin Bauchart
75008 Paris
The Instituto Cervantes, which manages Spanish cultural
centers throughout the world, offers Spanish language courses
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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.
Studio Art
• UNION DES ARTS DECORATIFS (ATELIERS DU
CARROUSEL): drawing, painting, watercolor, printmaking,
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.
• 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
in the fall semester.
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.
• 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 [Paris-Sorbonne] and Paris VII (Denis Diderot) also offer
courses in dance through their Departments of Physical
Education.
Theatre
• 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.
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D. Courses offered by the Sweet Briar College JYF
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 JYF. 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 in response to unforeseen circumstances.
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
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
Literature
• Littérature et cinéma
• Théâtre et mise en scène
3. Living in 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 way the métro
and buses work, etc. But if there are disadvantages, there are
also many galleries, bookstores, sidewalk cafés, the general
intensity of cultural and intellectual activity, and of course,
the presence of history at every turn.
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 JYF 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
Sweet Briar College
JYF IN PARIS AND NICE
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 an
enriching 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
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 third-year
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 $90. 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 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 can be
high, you may usually stay at a table for as long as you wish.
Incidentally, a service charge of 15 percent (service compris)
included in your bill – no need to leave a tip, though you may
want to leave a euro or two extra for attentive service.
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. However,
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. French and Americans
have had a love-hate relationship for a long time. The French
admire American 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’s physical education department), as well as the
SUAPS, the university sports association:
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• Paris Université Club, 17, avenue Pierre de Coubertin,
75013 Paris (Tel: 01-44-16-62- 65)
• Centre Sportif Universitaire, Centre Jean-Sarrailh, 31,
avenue Georges Bernanos, 75006 Paris (Tel: 01-46-33-06-21)
If you plan to leave Paris for your winter and spring
vacations, you might like to join a student tour group. For
instance, there are 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 traditionally a Roman Catholic country. 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. 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 JYF students:
(1) 9, rue Vauquelin, 75005 Paris; (2) 14, rue ChasseloupLaubat, 75015 Paris; (3) 24, rue Copernic, 75016 Paris.
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Sweet Briar College
JYF IN PARIS AND NICE
List of Subjects Available in the Various
Paris Universities, Institutes, and Specialized Schools
AFRICAN AND AFRO-AMERICAN STUDIES:
GEOGRAPHY: Paris IV, Paris VII
Paris III [Littérature générale et comparée],
Paris VII [Histoire; Sciences de la Société]
HISTORY: Paris IV, Paris VII
ANTHROPOLOGY:
INTERNATIONAL
Paris VII, Institut Catholique
Dauphine
ARCHEOLOGY: Paris IV
LINGUISTICS: Paris III, Paris VII
ART HISTORY: Paris IV
LITERATURE:
AUDIO-VISUAL: Paris III, Paris IV
AFFAIRS: Paris III, Université Paris
Comparative: Paris III, Paris VII [Textes et documents]
French: Paris III, Paris IV, Paris VII [Textes et documents]
Other: See Foreign Languages and Literatures
BIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY: Paris VII
MATHEMATICS: Paris VII
BUSINESS: Université Paris Dauphine
MUSIC AND MUSICOLOGY: Paris IV, Schola
CHEMISTRY: Paris VII
Cantorum, Institut Catholique
CINEMA: Paris III, Paris VII
PHILOSOPHY: Paris IV, Paris VII, Institut Catholique
CLASSICS: Paris IV
PHYSICS: Paris VII
COMPUTER SCIENCE: Paris VII
POLITICAL SCIENCE: Paris III, Paris IV
DANCE: Paris III, Paris IV, Paris VII, several schools
PSYCHOLOGY: Paris VII
ECONOMICS: Paris III, Paris VII, Université Paris Dauphine
RELIGION:
Institut
Catholique,
Institut
Protestant
de
Théologie
EDUCATION: Institut Catholique
SCIENCES: Paris VII
ENVIRONMENT: Paris VII
SOCIOLOGY: Paris VII, Institut Catholique
ETHNOLOGY: Paris VII, Institut Catholique
STUDIO ARTS: several atéliers
FOREIGN LANGUAGES:
Arabic…..Paris III, Paris IV, Paris VII, INALCO
Chinese....Paris VII
English….Paris III, Paris IV, Paris VII
German…Paris III, Paris IV, Paris VII, Goethe-Institut
Greek……Paris IV
Hebrew…..Paris III, Paris VII, Institut Catholique
Italian…….Paris III, Paris IV, Section Italienne de
l’E.I.E.C.
Japanese.....Paris VII
Latin……...Paris IV
Portuguese..Paris III, Paris IV
Russian…...Paris IV
Spanish…...Paris III, Paris IV, Paris VII, Instituto
Cervantes
THEATRE: several atéliers
WOMEN’S STUDIES: Paris III (Littérature française), Paris IV
(Anglais), Paris VII (Sociologie, Etudes Anglophones)
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NICE
Départements corresponding roughly
departments in American universities.
1. Program administrators in Nice
The UFR LASH: Lettres, Arts, et Sciences Humaines (Campus
A. The Resident Coordinator
Natasha Azarian-Ceccato, Ph.D., UC Berkeley
The Resident Coordinator is responsible for the overall
administration in Nice. She advises students and coordinates
cultural activities and housing with families in Nice.
DÉPARTEMENTS des SCIENCES HUMAINES:
Histoire, Philosophie, Psychologie, Sociologie, Ethnologie.
DÉPARTEMENTS des ARTS
2. Academics in Nice
DÉPARTEMENTS des LANGUES
On this campus a new library welcomes you every day
(including weekends) from 8am to 8pm. It is a pleasant place
to study and to meet French students in a congenial setting.
Law and political science schools are on the Trotabas
campus. It is possible, therefore, that you will have classes on
several different campuses, and will do more walking than
you may be accustomed to in the US. To move quickly from
one campus to another, you will probably be using the very
reasonably priced public transportation system (see the
section on public transportation in Nice).
The University of Nice is composed of several Unités de
Formation et de Recherche (UFR), instituts, centres, or
26
individual
Carlone, except for Sociology, which is at Saint Jean
d’Angély).
B. The Academic Consultant
Tiphaine Le Rest
The Academic Consultant advises students on their academic
program in Nice and serves as the liaison with the various
branches and administrators of the University of Nice.
A. The University of Nice Sophia-Antipolis
You will be taking most of your classes at the University of
Nice, a large university of around 26,000 students with
several campuses throughout the city. The University of Nice
is a relatively new institution, founded in 1965. Many
departments have created innovative programs addressing
contemporary issues including the environment, climate
change, population migration, urbanism, and cultural politics.
Small, interactive classes are numerous, although one also
still finds traditional lecture classes in large amphithéâtres.
Whatever the class format, the professors in Nice are
generally eager to interact with their students. We’ll help you
choose courses whose format suits you so that you can profit
from your instruction there.
The JYF-Nice office is located on the Carlone campus,
which also houses arts and humanities (UFR Arts, Sciences
humaines, Lettres). Sciences are taught in the picturesque
Valrose campus, considered to be one of the most beautiful
campuses in France. The Saint Jean d’Angély campus
houses the department of sociology, the business school of
economics (Institut d’aménagement des entreprises, known as
the IAE) and the school of economics (Institut supérieur
d’économie et de management, the ISEM).
to
Danse, Musique Théâtre
DÉPARTEMENTS des LETTRES
Lettres classiques, Lettres modernes, Sciences du langage.
Allemand, Anglais, Espagnol, Italien, Langue et culture d’Oc
(Nissart ou Proveçal). Langues et civilisations orientales et
slaves, Portugais.
UFR Sciences (Campus Valrose)
DÉPARTEMENT de CHIMIE
DÉPARTEMENT d’ÉLECTRONQIUE
DÉPARTEMENT d’INFORMATIQUE
DÉPARTEMENT de MATHÉMATIQUES
DÉPARTEMENT de PHYSIQUE
DÉPARTEMENT des SCIENCES DE LA VIE ET
DE LA SANTÉ (biologie)
UFR Polytech’ Nice-Sophia (Campus Valrose)
This is the engineering school of the University of NiceSophia Antipolis; it includes several departments:
ÉLECTRONIQUE
SCIENCES INFORMATIQUES
MATHÉMATIQUES APPLIQUÉES et
MODÉLISATION
GÉNIE BILOGIQUE et GÉNIE de l’EAU
HYDROINFORMATIQUE et GESTION des
SERVICES PUBLICS
BÂTIMENTS DURABLES et INTELLIGENTS
UFR Espaces et cultures (Campus Carlone)
Environmental sciences, geography (human and spatial), city
management and zoning
UFR Droit et Sciences politiques (Campus Trotabas)
ISEM
(Institut
Supérieur
d’Économie
et
Management (Campus Saint Jean d’Angély)
de
The ISEM offers study in economics and principles of
business management.
Sweet Briar College
JYF IN PARIS AND NICE
IAE (Institut d’Administration des Entreprises (Campus
Saint Jean d’Angély)
The IAE offers courses in management and marketing.
B. Studio, Art, Music and Other Performing Arts
As you will have noted, JYF fees cover only courses for
which students received academic credit. The overall fee does
not include the cost of individual art, dance, and music
instruction. Piano rentals and studio art supplies are also
generally not covered.
Classes in music, dance, and theater are offered for credit
as regular University of Nice courses. Please consult the list
of recommended courses (on the website) and let the
Academic Consultant know as much in advance as possible if
you are interested in taking one of these classes so she can
contact the instructors. For some of these courses, an
admissions test or audition is required and can be taken early
in the semester.
Students proficient in a musical instrument or wanting to
take a course in choral singing can be enrolled at the
Conservatoire National à Rayonnement Régional de Nice
(www.crr-nice.org). Except for majors in art, music, dance,
theater or 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.
JYF grants credit for studio courses on the same basis as 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
academic credit for studio courses taken in France. Please
check your school’s policy.
C. Courses Offered by Sweet Briar College JYF
The courses listed below are taught by well-known authorities
in their field and are ordinarily open only to students in the
Sweet Briar College JYF. Detailed descriptions of each
course can be found on the website at www.jyf.sbc.edu.
Please note that enrollment of fewer 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.
French Language
• Atelier d’écriture
Art History
• Histoire de l’art moderne et contemporain
3. Living in Nice
Why has The French Rivera—La Côte d’Azur, enchanted so
many, from Queens (Queen Victoria built her winter palace
here), to artists, to the masses of tourists that began arriving in
the 1930s? It’s really not hard to understand. Nice is at the
confluence of knowledge and learning, culture, sports and
a certain joie de vivre, which is implicit in the Niçois
traditions.
Nice is very much a student city; it is home to six
university campuses (Letters, Sciences, Psychology and
Social Sciences, Medicine and Law). The university has an
abundance of courses, open to any enrolled student. While
students may have classes at one or several campuses, public
transportation is accessible and practical for all. There are
numerous cafés, public gardens, and squares to gather for
discussion or study.
NICE or Nikaia, as it was called by the Greeks, has a rich
and diverse history. In antiquity, it served as an important
trading center for the Phoenician Greeks and was later settled
by the Romans, who recognized its strategic importance. The
Romans constructed a city on the site, with arenas and
bathhouses, ruins of which are still present today. Longtime
under the sovereignty of the Duchy of Savoie, Nice became
definitively French in 1860. Students interested in language
may want to learn a bit of Nissart, the local dialect, which is a
branch of Occitan (provençal). The proximity of Nice to
northern Italy is evident in the architecture and traditions of
Nice.
In addition to its historical richness, Nice is a bustling
cultural center. Renoir, Picasso, Chagall, and Matisse—
painters who unquestionably changed the artistic landscape of
the nineteenth and the twentieth century—all came to Nice
and the surrounding area to experience the light, the façon de
vivre, and the unquestionable beauty of the region. Both
Matisse and Chagall have renowned national museums
devoted to their work in Nice, and there are several other
distinguished museums in the surrounding cities and villages
of Antibes, Menton, Cannes, and St. Paul de Vence, an easy
train or bus ride from Nice. The Museum of Modern and
Contemporary Art (MAMAC), right in the heart of the city,
features outstanding exhibits by contemporary artists and
houses an important permanent collection. Nice truly is an artlovers delight.
The Promenade des Anglais, or the Prom, as the locals say,
epitomizes Nice. Built by the Englishman Lewis Way in
1820, and lined by palm trees, it follows the curve of the
“Baie des Anges”, where the city meets the exquisitely
changing blue of the Mediterranean. With an average of 300
days of sunshine per year, Nice is home to a many who swim
everyday, as they claim it is good for circulation, but most
years, people enjoy the waters of the Mediterranean from May
to October. The Prom is also the place where everyone, young
and old, walk, jog, bike or skate. There are numerous races
organized throughout the year for the serious athlete to the
occasional jogger.
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HANDBOOK
The joie de vivre niçoise, is contagious, and is evident in
the city’s special relationship with flowers. The Marché aux
fleurs on the Cours Saleya is considered to be among France’s
most picturesque open-air markets. Flowers are also very
present during the Nice Carnival, where works of art are
assembled in the form of impressive floats and flowers are
thrown in celebration to the crowds. The Nice Carnival is one
of the world’s oldest; its first apparition in historical records
dates back to 1294.
You smell the joie de vivre in Niçois culinary delights.
Though not a traditionally rich area, the Niçois have their own
gastronomic pleasures, such as Socca, an exquisitely grilled
crepe-like dish made from chickpeas and olive oil—perfect as
a snack or apéritif. You can feel the joie de vivre in the
relationships you form with people. Nice is a big city (5th
largest city in France with the 2nd largest airport after Paris),
but a welcoming one, with a village-like feel.
Religious Services
Churches frequently offer opportunities to meet other
students.
France is traditionally a Roman Catholic country. Whatever
your religious beliefs, try to attend a Catholic service in one
of the great historic churches in Nice since they have played
such an important role in French history and the formation of
French society.
There are also churches of other denominations in Nice
where services are held in French, for example, the Église
Réformée, which is a Calvinist Portestant Church (21
Boulevard Victor Hugo, entrée 19 rue Maccarani), similar to a
Presbyterian church.
There is also a Lutheran Church (4 rue Melchior de
Vogué) and a Baptist Church (Église Baptiste Internationale,
13 rue Vernier). The Anglican Church (11 rue de la Buffa)
offers services in English.
There are several synagogues in Nice. The Grand
Synagogue is on 7 rue Gustave Deloye. If you need further
information on religious services, the Resident Coordinator
will be happy to help you.
28
JYF in Paris and Nice
Sweet Briar College
Sweet Briar, VA 24595
Tel: (434) 381-6109 • Fax: (434) 381-6283
[email protected] • www.jyf.sbc.edu
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