Exchange Experience of Groupe ESC Troyes
By 2012 Business Administration Ruitao Lin
The time is just like the flowing river, never stop no matter it is day or night. Had lived in France for a full half year, now back to China, I really miss it, I miss the people there, as well as the things and the places over there. I may say I live life to the full in the past half a year, I had done plenty of things, I touched different things by my heart, it was too more than what my original expectation before I went there.
There are too many things to talk about, however, now there are few sparks in my brain, let us start one by one.
First of all I was an exchange student, at the very beginning I have to talk about myself as a student. I was glad to be in a very international private business college, the name is Groupe ESC Troyes, the town it lies is very small, around 150km to the southeast of Paris, the overall performance ranks above the average within the business education system of France. There are only three kinds of students around me in the school: the international students coming here, the returned local students and the local students who are preparing for exchange, thus I quickly got the way of basic coordination and communication of homework with French and other countries’ students., I acted as a co-leader in a class to lead my teammates to finish a not easy task, preliminarily I got to understand the ideas of multi-cultural management. Naturally, during the touch with others, I had got to see the basic life, study, advance to higher level degree or working situations of French students. As for the courses I chose, owing to the adaptation, I once got a low mark, but later I got high mark, generally speaking it was getting better and better. However, a half year of studying aboard was too short, it was tough to fully and deeply understand the operation of French universities and the their students, but one is better than zero, the experience was more likely as a knocking brick, it is vital to me if I am going to switch to another country or attend a higher degree in the future.
Photo: The group picture of all exchange students in front of ESC at the first day
The activities and entertainment after class are also a very important part. Party is the basic form of social and having fun for French, this varies from the social activities of Chinese culture. Most of the parties in the school run as the units of associations, also, students usually organize some parties during their birthdays and farewells, in one word, there are a lot of parties happen, they are always in the nights even early mornings, owing to the custom and cultural differences, Chinese students are not that willing to join such parties especially which held in the bars, but I think this is a very important social and learning opportunity. Moreover, the associations will organize some trips to Paris Disneyland and some snowy mountains for skiing, of course, you have to pay for admission. During the middle of the semester the school organized a university forum for the international students as a chance to show their culture and performance. You may still remember the terrorist attacks happened in the capital Paris, very quickly after that, the school appealed us to join a simple mourning and provided the students some necessary mental intervention, this is the lacking part for the universities within China.
Photo: Picture with my friends in SANTA NIGHT PARTY
My life outside the school was also very amazing, I finished my first marathon of my life there. I decided to run the marathon five months ago before I went to France because I am personally interested in some challenging and stimulating things, also I wanted to avoid the typical and traditional studying at school plus travelling exchange experience. I had practiced in STU and France for each two months, the process was hard, while the result was splendid, the south France was beautiful, I could express how it was by words, the sunshine, beach, seabirds, old castles and the local people, I experienced them in 4 hours and 2 minutes. The Nice- Cannes marathon was a beautiful memory of mine in France, it was also a life experience of successful challenging the impossible, I couldn’t forget it. That was for sure I took the opportunity to tour Nice and Cannes the two small towns a little bit, I would like to use some words from a documentary to describe my feelings: choosing plenty of beach towns, adding the appropriate art, put little history in it, then scattering some charm on it, let them simmer under the sunshine of the Mediterranean Sea.
Owing to my personal choice, I didn’t go to travel around Europe like other non-European students did, on contrast, for abroad travelling I only went to Bruges, Belgium for one day, plus the five French cities I had lived in, totally two countries six cities’ experience was a lackluster of my travelling, of course I felt that was a pity, especially I did feel interested in Athens, Greece and German but could make it, however, pity was also kind of positive beauty which could be filled in the future. That was bit strange that I had been to Paris in half year but only travelled there for real for five days, I was convinced that Paris was my favorite city, the great history, diversification, rich culture, modernization and giant atmosphere were the labels I could put on it, it probably the place I would like to stay in the future. I should also mention the medieval town Bruges of Belgium, Middle Ages, chocolate, canal and cycles were the memory it left in my brain, there was a museum called HISTORIUM, which would bring you back to the Middle Ages’ life of Bruges, if you visit there, please pay attention to the “welcome to 1435” (in Chinese) on the right of the tickets place, that was the writing after my suggestion.
Photo: Picture of finish of the French Riviera Marathon
One more thing, there is the one month experience for me to wwoof in an organic farm in Lille, France. I checked the opportunity on the website of World-Wide Opportunity on Organic Farms, then I made it after the email communication with the farm owners, as the principles went, I gave him a favor, he provided accommodation and food for me. The organic farm lies in a small town Ennevilen, southeast to Lille, and the owner is Kevin. The work in winter was not much but hard, I still worked from 8am to 8pm every day, six and a half days every week. I almost did all the work which should be done during that season, including planting the vegetables, watering, weeding, harvesting, repairing, assisting the delivering, warehouse managing and communicating, I really realized the development situations of French organic industry, the life of normal French people, some society problem, and the personal life experience of Kevin, I did learn English and French from him, I was also in touch with the working class, local students, middle age people coming here to practice and a refugee who was applying for the visa, I got well with them, Kevin praised me that I got the talents of being a farmer, he even said:” Hey Ruitao, are you sure you are not going to be a farmer in China?” He did also confirm that I may come back to work for him officially for two months during summer, I was quite interested actually. This unexpected experience also let me realized that the unknown is so amazing.
In conclusion, this half year reshapes my mind, from the beginning to the ending, apparently I everything went on well, but actually I had defeated so many barriers behind, finally I gained the unexpected return, I think my life would be changed because of it. I appreciate all the people related to this, and myself who did never give up.
