This previous week has had two major highlights. I started my first official week of courses, and I was able to spend the weekend in Toulouse, a neighboring (and rival) French city.
The courses that I have decided to take are entitled:
- Methodologie Française (French)
- L’Histoire de l’art Contemporaine (French)
- System de gestion de bases de données (French)
- Introduction to Image Processing (English)
- French Gastronomy (English)
Due to the varied classes sizes, the uniqueness of the subjects, and the two different languages of instruction, I can already tell that each of these courses will have its own learning curve.
My favorite class so far has been SGBD. Its objective is to understand and analyze the utilization of SQL databases in connection to business management. At first, I had some worries about the course, but they were quickly resolved by the end of the first lecture. It is taught completely in French, which I thought might be a hinderance, but thanks to the considerable amount technical vocabulary, the instruction has been rather easy to follow. I also came to the realization that a completely different keyboard is used in France than in the United States. I might have to type with my index fingers for now, but the professor gives us adequate time to follow, and I even made a new French buddy, Adrian, to help me when I fall behind.
After a busy week of instruction, some of the California students and I were able to finish the week with a spontaneous excursion to Toulouse. It’s Bordeaux neighbor city, but the two are still very different! The buildings in Toulouse are less historic and detailed, but very colorful and vibrant.
After the fast pace of this past week, I have realized how grateful I am to live a dynamic life. Between community college, University of California, and now University of Bordeaux, I have had the privilege to expose myself to new environments frequently throughout the years. Even while at these schools, I have been able to rearrange by class schedules, take obscure classes, and discover new interests each quarter. To live so freely is an amazing, and sometimes forgotten, benefit of pursuing higher education that I am so fortunate to have had. And after I return to the United States, a new chapter in my life will begin – the life of a college graduate!
C’est moi! 
Getting ready to explore Toulouse. 
The famous streets of Toulouse.
Matt en France 