My Old School

I think I've been here long enough now that I can tell you about the Université Montpellier III Paul Valéry, where I am supposedly studying this semester.

Now, I say "supposedly" for a few reasons. First, two of the five classes I'm taking this semester are through my exchange programme, so the University here has nothing to do with them. Then of the three remaining classes I have, one is designed specifically for foreign students whose native language is English, another is a beginning German class taught by a professor from Germany, and the last one has been cancelled so often due to the professor's illness or one of several strikes that I haven't had it more than I have. Still, now that I'm travelling every weekend I'm on the campus every day that I'm in Montpellier, and I'm starting to get used to the way things work here.

The campus itself isn't that big, although when it's closed and I have to go around it instead of through it to get back to my dorm it seems huge. And whilst the University system here dates back to the early 13th century, the Fac de Lettres that is the Paul Valéry campus was only established in the late 1970s, and that is definitely reflected in the architecture. It also seems as though nothing has been replaced since then... Desks and restrooms are defaced, and there is enough graffiti around that it could be the set of an early nineties sitcom. Then there's always posters and notices pasted over one another on every wall of every building... Most seem to advertise yet another general assembly or occupation of one of the amphitheatres, prefacing more unrest in the system and another strike or protest. It's a good thing that the class I'm missing is only graded on a final test... Otherwise I might feel bad that I'm not getting any work done! I guess this is simply a cultural lesson for me, so even without actual class I get to learn about French politics.

There are a few places to eat on campus, relatively cheap but as long as I live so close I prefer cooking for myself, which is even cheaper. There are lots of vending machines, including the amazing coffee ones that are 1/3 of the price and taste just as good as what you get in cafés here.

Everytime I walk to class I have to pass through one of the two main gates, and without fail there is some student group hassling people to take their pamphlets. I try not to because it's wasteful; I'd never read them and they probably wouldn't affect me anyway. The ones I have ended up inevitably are about organising together and marching for student's rights, which are clearly being violated. I don't want to get too deep into my opinions here, suffice it to say that it seems to me they overreact to every little move the government makes. But then I'm not usually one to stir up trouble.

Overall I'm enjoying the classes I have, and I do think this is a lovely campus. If only I had been here during a semester where there wasn't so much unrest!