Learning Like The French

Why would anybody in their right mind, extend a six year course, by their own choice? Additionally why would anybody extend their architecture studies? Well, I did. In May 2009, I opened an email offering two masters students a chance to study in France, the catch... it doesn’t count towards RIBA studies. Spending a year in France, semi-funded versus extending my 2 year masters by a year? The decision wasn’t easy, lots of consultation and lists of pros and cons, led me to do one thing... flip a coin, France it was?

I arrived in Saint Étienne, the small former mining town in France, in early August to house-hunt with a friend. It was raining; not the summer weather we had expected. Walking down the very first street and looking at what was seemingly, from my map, the centre of the town; I began to cry. It looked so destitute, all the shop shutters were down even though it was the middle of the day- I found out later that this was the period of ‘les grandes vacances’ , when all of France closes down.

I left with a better impression... in the mean time the sun had decided to grace us with its presence. Although house-less, we left Sainte, to enjoy a real holiday in Lyon. It was only three weeks later, I returned, suitcase in-hand to my fellow Erasmus-ers in the centre of Sainté. I soon found an apartment with 5 other people,3 other French guys, a French girl and a Spanish girl. Enormous, slightly bohemian and gregarious; I was content. The first few weeks in the house were comical; sign-language of sorts was invaluable; as I hadn’t a clue what they were saying to me. I spent the whole time smiling like a weirdo because I was trying to come across as a nice person... without speaking.

This trend followed suit in uni, ENSASE, l’Ecole Nationale Superior de Saint Étienne. Following two weeks of ‘intensive French classes’, I realised that my French, although by no means conversational was better than other Erasmus students , who were lost after ‘Bonjour’. I by contrast was lost after ‘Comment tu t’appelle.’ I went to France for two reasons: to learn French and to study architecture. I did both, however it wasn’t all rosy, until Christmas I just sat around with a confused look on my face, even when something was being explained directly to me, after that it slowly began to sink in. The snow and cold weather didn’t do much to lighten the burden of my apparent lack of intelligence that had overcome me...through the language barrier. This left my, already low, architectural intelligence in a bit of a sorry state.

With the sun, came the fun. In the second semester, I changed my design modules, of which we had three to pick. From Urbanism, Design and Landscape in the first semester I, unfortunately, chose urbanism. I didn’t make the same mistake twice; I chose design for the second semester. A new energy was added to my week... I finally had work and project and ideas. For the first time since May ’10, I felt stimulated in class. The final semester was juggling this newfound workload and fitting in all the things that we didn’t get around to doing in the area. Erasmus nights out made a come-back from December in the knowledge that we didn’t have much time left. It was fast and furious but the days were longer, the sun had started to show its face...summer and the excitement and sadness that the year was over filled my last few weeks. Luckily our studio group had a week-long trip to Switzerland; which was probably the most amazing architectural trip that I have ever done. It has left me with the want to return someday to work.

I stayed on in France until the start of August, travelling and enjoying the weather. Coming back was...ok. It marked the end of my French experience, and therefore was tinged with sadness but I was ready for the madness that is architecture in Belfast. No more two-hour lunches or multi-cultural nights out in flats and woollies but noise, chat and my own desk! Would I do it all over again? No, I could be finished rather than facing into the depths of 6th year. Would I change it if I had the chance? No.

‘Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.’ Mark Twain

Catriona Hickey - 6th year MArch student

When the school of architecture finally decided to introduce the possibility of study abroad through the ERASMUS program a year and a half ago, I jumped at the chance. It has always been my dream to study in France, and frankly I was, at that point, too terrified and unprepared to start my final year. I decided it would be a great opportunity to put this horror off, but that it would also look great on my C.V.

The semesters were longer than I’m used to but the year flew by; in September I made a complete hash of my first French presentation and the first years were welcomed in a hail of flour, eggs and other embarrassing integration games. In October, we celebrated Halloween a week early causing a lady on the tram to offer me a tissue because she thought the blood was real. November was filled with exams and coursework due before we went home in December. Still feeling festive in January we celebrated being back together again. In February, our numbers were halved and then doubled, because some of our friends were there for one semester not two, but we celebrated that too. In March, we built a shelter from cardboard boxes, one resembling a labyrinth of caves big enough for thirty people and then I started to plan my April holidays; a trip to Lyon and Paris with a friend who was spending the year in Perpignan. Suddenly it was May and my friends from the University finished up and started moving on, so we partied on a hill top, we had a picnic, watched the sunset and one guy spat fire. June flew by too quickly; exams, projects and planning for Les Briques d’Or, the final part. A great night, everybody dressed to impress, we all laughed as the teachers received their awards, we danced and then I had to go, my train left in the morning. And it was over. A whirlwind of awesome events, great people from all over the world and the whole culture I had experienced, gone, left behind.

I miss it, and I miss my new friends, but I’m not sad. That was our year, the only time we’ll all be together like that, all I have now some great memories and fantastic photos, but I like that. We’ve all gone home to continue our studies, different and hopefully better people and I know that I’ll see them again, it’s also a great excuse for me to travel a bit and visit new places. It was also a great opportunity to learn who I am on my own, and I’ve come home feeling much more confident and ready for my final year.

Eva McGowan

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