I can only tell you what I know, but here goes...
1st semester:
REQUIRED CLASSES:
Droit Intl Public - Prof Latty is amazing, adorable and lovely, but don't take this exam oral (friends have cried). I took the TD (travaux diriges) for this class and would recommend that.
Droit Intl Privé - Usually Madame Bachelier teaches this. She is very good, and seems stern, but is extremely nice during the oral exam. I would take this exam oral and STRONGLY recommend NOT taking the TD for this class. I personally did not take the TD, but the class itself is confusing enough at first, and the TD goes even more in-depth (but not in a helpful, clarifying way).
Droit Européen - Prof Robin-Olivier teaches this class. She is incredibly sweet and helpful person, but her teaching style can be a little difficult to follow. I recommend taking this TD as well. It will help you understand the overall material better.
ELECTIVES
Droit de l'environnement - awful, awful, awful. don't do it. the prof will numb your mind. i'm sure its an amazingly interesting field normally, but this class will make you want to jump into a river - not save it. and this prof made me cry during the oral exam. grrr. awful. I had to take the rattrapage. Was very sad to face him again. He gave me a lot of crap the second time too, but at least I passed that time.
Droit Pénal (aspects internationaux) - very interesting. i struggled with this during the written exam (thought I rocked it answering a question on Nuremberg, and got a 9). I would recommend the class, but if you do, take the exam oral. Prof Eudes seems a little stern during class, but is the nicest woman.
2nd semester:
REQUIRED:
Privé II - M. Train is SO NICE. You MUST take the exam oral with M. Train. Seriously. Again, don't take this TD. This subject is not conducive to TD.
Concurrence - I took this TD, and would recommend others doing the same.
Droit de l'Homme - Either oral/written are fine.
ELECTIVES:
Droit Administrative Comparé - the class is interesting, comparing admin law from France, Spain, Germany, England, Italy and (maybe?) Russia. The material is extremely easy, but the prof expects you to know it inside-out. She is extremely friendly and helpful, but expects a lot, so be ready for your exam. But definitely do-able.
Droit du Commerce Intl - M. Ruet is pretty entertaining. He can be tough during the final.
Droit Intl du Developpement - Don't take this class, unless the prof is new. (sorry, I can't remember his name). I took development finance at WCL and was really excited for this class. I sat in on one class, left before the class was finished to run to the secretary to change out. He was growling and mean and talking about how there is no such thing as international development.
Contentieux Intl - I didn't take this class, but Madame Eudes teaches it, and she's fabulous.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Exams
3 sets of exams
-First semester exams usually start the end of January.
-Second semester exams start end of May.
-Third set of exams are "rattrapages" (aka retakes) for first and second semester exams, usually starting the first week of September.
Exams are in oral or written format. This is a big decision to make, and must be made for both semesters at the very beginning of the year. I believe that you have a small window where you can change the format of the exams, possibly the first week of classes, but I'm not entirely sure. Whatever class you have a TD in, you must take that exam in written form.
Oral vs. Written
Oral exams are shorter, usually lasting 15 minutes. Certain professors are very foreign-student friendly and therefore, taking it oral is a great thing. Others don't care and are awful and will make you cry (not just me folks, many WCLers have cried after an oral exam). Oral exams usually consist of one or two very specific questions. Sometimes you have 10 minutes or so to outline an answer, sometimes you don't. Also, if you aren't the first person that day, you will be preparing while someone else is giving their exam in front of the professor. It can be difficult to concentrate, especially if the person before you is extremely good or extremely bad.
Written exams are usually 3 hours long. One must chose to answer 1 of two possible questions, which are usually extremely broad, touching on many different parts of the course material. Also, you can write "Etudiant(e) Etranger(e)" in BIG letters, so you don't necessarily miss out on the foreign-student pity. You have the right to use an English-French dictionary. Written exams are much better for classes which you understand better in breadth than in depth.
Taking Exams Early
If you are planning on taking BarBri to prepare for the bar exam, you need to take exams early. This has not been a problem in the past, but can be a big hassle. You should talk to your profs relatively early in the semester to warn them, and then remind them more than once as it comes closer to the end of the semester.
-First semester exams usually start the end of January.
-Second semester exams start end of May.
-Third set of exams are "rattrapages" (aka retakes) for first and second semester exams, usually starting the first week of September.
Exams are in oral or written format. This is a big decision to make, and must be made for both semesters at the very beginning of the year. I believe that you have a small window where you can change the format of the exams, possibly the first week of classes, but I'm not entirely sure. Whatever class you have a TD in, you must take that exam in written form.
Oral vs. Written
Oral exams are shorter, usually lasting 15 minutes. Certain professors are very foreign-student friendly and therefore, taking it oral is a great thing. Others don't care and are awful and will make you cry (not just me folks, many WCLers have cried after an oral exam). Oral exams usually consist of one or two very specific questions. Sometimes you have 10 minutes or so to outline an answer, sometimes you don't. Also, if you aren't the first person that day, you will be preparing while someone else is giving their exam in front of the professor. It can be difficult to concentrate, especially if the person before you is extremely good or extremely bad.
Written exams are usually 3 hours long. One must chose to answer 1 of two possible questions, which are usually extremely broad, touching on many different parts of the course material. Also, you can write "Etudiant(e) Etranger(e)" in BIG letters, so you don't necessarily miss out on the foreign-student pity. You have the right to use an English-French dictionary. Written exams are much better for classes which you understand better in breadth than in depth.
Taking Exams Early
If you are planning on taking BarBri to prepare for the bar exam, you need to take exams early. This has not been a problem in the past, but can be a big hassle. You should talk to your profs relatively early in the semester to warn them, and then remind them more than once as it comes closer to the end of the semester.
Grading System
Grades are numbers out of 20. A flat-out passing grade for a single class is 10/20 or above. If you get this grade, you'll never have to see that class again.
Also, there is the magic of the "moyen." When you pick your electives, keep this in mind! Classes that are blocked together (such as required classes) will be averaged. If the average is 10/20 or above, you won't have to retake an exam even if you did not technically pass that particular course.
EXAMPLE: Droit Intl Public, Droit Intl Privé, and Droit Européen are required classes for the M1 droit intl et européen. Let's say one gets the following grades : 10/20, 12/20, and 8/20 respectively. Although 8/20 is not a passing grade for Droit Européen, one does NOT need to retake the exam during the rattrapages because the average is 10 between that block of classes.
NOTE: Although it was not well clarified in the past, my understanding is that WCL does NOT give credit when grades are under 10/20, even if UPX considers them passed because of the average.
Unlike in the US, failing exams (under 10/20, see Grading System entry) is quite common in France. My guess is around 30-40% of students have to retake at least one exam.
When you retake an exam, the new grade completely takes the place of the old grade, for better or for worse.
Also, there is the magic of the "moyen." When you pick your electives, keep this in mind! Classes that are blocked together (such as required classes) will be averaged. If the average is 10/20 or above, you won't have to retake an exam even if you did not technically pass that particular course.
EXAMPLE: Droit Intl Public, Droit Intl Privé, and Droit Européen are required classes for the M1 droit intl et européen. Let's say one gets the following grades : 10/20, 12/20, and 8/20 respectively. Although 8/20 is not a passing grade for Droit Européen, one does NOT need to retake the exam during the rattrapages because the average is 10 between that block of classes.
NOTE: Although it was not well clarified in the past, my understanding is that WCL does NOT give credit when grades are under 10/20, even if UPX considers them passed because of the average.
Unlike in the US, failing exams (under 10/20, see Grading System entry) is quite common in France. My guess is around 30-40% of students have to retake at least one exam.
When you retake an exam, the new grade completely takes the place of the old grade, for better or for worse.
Registration at Nanterre
There are two types of registration. "Inscription Administrative" and "Inscription Pédagogique." Inscription Administrative is for the university in general and Inscription Pédagogique is where you choose your classes, etc. within the law school.
Apparently there is a new online registration system for the administrative part. I'm not sure if the system is just for returning students, or also for new students. Either way, here is the info:
1/ inscriptions administratives :
La connexion sur internet est obligatoire.
Si vous passez au niveau supérieur dès la session de juin, vous devez vous inscrire, sur APOWEB ou sur http://sesame.u-paris10.fr pour obtenir un rendez-vous de réinscription.
Si vous devez passer la session de septembre**, vous devez attendre l’affichage des résultats (début octobre) avant de prendre votre rendez-vous de réinscription, sur APOWEB ou sur http://sesame.u-paris10.fr
**Students who do not pass all their classes by June can retake the necessary exams and graduate in September. Process is called "rattrapages." more on that another time.
My first stop in this process was talking with the international students office in batiment A, 1ere etage (2nd floor US). For 2008-2009, the contact for WCL students is Emilie Lepeuve (emilie.lepeuve@u-paris10.fr).
VERY IMPORTANT: for the inscription pédagogique, you should already know what Master 1, which "parcours" you want, what electives, what classes you want to do a TD in, and whether you will be taking oral or written exams for BOTH SEMESTERS.
That means you will be making a lot of decisions about the year right at the beginning.
First thing you should do, if you haven't already, is read carefully through the M1 booklet (link on the UFR SJAP website) and pick your master 1.
A lot of us have done the Droit International & Européen. After interviewing at many law firms in Paris, I think Droit des Affaires would have been better for me in finding a firm job, but I took more interesting classes in the Droit Intl & Européen. I don't regret it, but its something to think about.
The parcours are different combinations of required and elective classes within the same M1. Some don't have different parcours, the M1 Droit International et Européen has 2.
IMPORTANT: The blocks of classes for each semester represent the grades that will be averaged together. Example: required classes are grouped together in one block. Electives can be in one or more blocks, depending on the M1 and/or the parcours.
Apparently there is a new online registration system for the administrative part. I'm not sure if the system is just for returning students, or also for new students. Either way, here is the info:
1/ inscriptions administratives :
La connexion sur internet est obligatoire.
Si vous passez au niveau supérieur dès la session de juin, vous devez vous inscrire, sur APOWEB ou sur http://sesame.u-paris10.fr pour obtenir un rendez-vous de réinscription.
Si vous devez passer la session de septembre**, vous devez attendre l’affichage des résultats (début octobre) avant de prendre votre rendez-vous de réinscription, sur APOWEB ou sur http://sesame.u-paris10.fr
**Students who do not pass all their classes by June can retake the necessary exams and graduate in September. Process is called "rattrapages." more on that another time.
My first stop in this process was talking with the international students office in batiment A, 1ere etage (2nd floor US). For 2008-2009, the contact for WCL students is Emilie Lepeuve (emilie.lepeuve@u-paris10.fr).
VERY IMPORTANT: for the inscription pédagogique, you should already know what Master 1, which "parcours" you want, what electives, what classes you want to do a TD in, and whether you will be taking oral or written exams for BOTH SEMESTERS.
That means you will be making a lot of decisions about the year right at the beginning.
First thing you should do, if you haven't already, is read carefully through the M1 booklet (link on the UFR SJAP website) and pick your master 1.
A lot of us have done the Droit International & Européen. After interviewing at many law firms in Paris, I think Droit des Affaires would have been better for me in finding a firm job, but I took more interesting classes in the Droit Intl & Européen. I don't regret it, but its something to think about.
The parcours are different combinations of required and elective classes within the same M1. Some don't have different parcours, the M1 Droit International et Européen has 2.
IMPORTANT: The blocks of classes for each semester represent the grades that will be averaged together. Example: required classes are grouped together in one block. Electives can be in one or more blocks, depending on the M1 and/or the parcours.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Convention de Stage Process
1. Finagle your way into a job offer
2. Take deep breath. Its an annoying process. You MUST give yourself at least 2 weeks before your start date. HR will not let you start if the convention isn't done and if your start date is moved, you'll have to restart the whole process.
3. Pick up a "Demande d'agrément pour une Convention de Stage" formulaire from Bureau de Convention de Stage at Nanterre in Bâtiment E, salle E19 OR download it from UFR SJAP homepage.
*** Sidenote: Any stage during your Master 1 will be non-integré (because no stage is required during the M1). This is not necessarily true for the M2.
If you are doing a stage during either semester of your M1, you can get out of doing the TDs (travaux dirigé). TD is a small lecture class you must prepare for with readings beforehand. There are also papers due and sometimes you must give a presentation. They go alongside required lecture courses. You are required to take 2 TD per semester. If you go to the secretary of the M1 with a convention de stage, you will be excused from these smaller classes. ***
4. Fill out the form and give it to HR of your new job for them to sign AND stamp
5. Find the responsable for your M1 (this info is given in the course catalog), and get his/her signature.
6. Go to the M1 secretary and get the form stamped with school seal
7. Make sure you have the right insurance! You need to show proof of "assurance de responsabilité civile vie privée." You should have bought this at registration, its called MAMUT. If you didn't, you can buy some online and print it off same-day. I did this last year. I'll try to fill in the specific website if I can find it.
8. Go to the stages website and fill in basically the same info that is on the form. This step is meaningless to us, but necessary. My theory is that we fill in the info into the e-system so they don't have to.
9. Buy 2 A5 envelopes with the correct postage (currently 0.88 euros on each; you can buy these at La Poste or in the tabac on the other side of the RER station at Nanterre)
10. Go to Convention de Stage office
they have weird hours:
Lundi/mercredi : 9h00 – 12h00 et 13h00 – 16h00
Jeudi : 9h00 – 16h00
Mardi/vendredi : 9h00 – 12h00
TAKE WITH YOU:
-completed form
-2 A5 envelopes with the correct postage
-your student card + photocopies of each side
-proof of your insurance (mentioned above) + 2 photocopies
11. They will print out 3 copies of a convention de stage with the info from the form filled in. You will need to sign it there.
12. Take all 3 copies back to the HR department of your job and have them sign and stamp all 3 copies.
13. Take the signed copies back to the Convention de Stage office with the A5 envelopes. They will mail a copy of the completed convention to you and to HR.
2. Take deep breath. Its an annoying process. You MUST give yourself at least 2 weeks before your start date. HR will not let you start if the convention isn't done and if your start date is moved, you'll have to restart the whole process.
3. Pick up a "Demande d'agrément pour une Convention de Stage" formulaire from Bureau de Convention de Stage at Nanterre in Bâtiment E, salle E19 OR download it from UFR SJAP homepage.
*** Sidenote: Any stage during your Master 1 will be non-integré (because no stage is required during the M1). This is not necessarily true for the M2.
If you are doing a stage during either semester of your M1, you can get out of doing the TDs (travaux dirigé). TD is a small lecture class you must prepare for with readings beforehand. There are also papers due and sometimes you must give a presentation. They go alongside required lecture courses. You are required to take 2 TD per semester. If you go to the secretary of the M1 with a convention de stage, you will be excused from these smaller classes. ***
4. Fill out the form and give it to HR of your new job for them to sign AND stamp
5. Find the responsable for your M1 (this info is given in the course catalog), and get his/her signature.
6. Go to the M1 secretary and get the form stamped with school seal
7. Make sure you have the right insurance! You need to show proof of "assurance de responsabilité civile vie privée." You should have bought this at registration, its called MAMUT. If you didn't, you can buy some online and print it off same-day. I did this last year. I'll try to fill in the specific website if I can find it.
8. Go to the stages website and fill in basically the same info that is on the form. This step is meaningless to us, but necessary. My theory is that we fill in the info into the e-system so they don't have to.
9. Buy 2 A5 envelopes with the correct postage (currently 0.88 euros on each; you can buy these at La Poste or in the tabac on the other side of the RER station at Nanterre)
10. Go to Convention de Stage office
they have weird hours:
Lundi/mercredi : 9h00 – 12h00 et 13h00 – 16h00
Jeudi : 9h00 – 16h00
Mardi/vendredi : 9h00 – 12h00
TAKE WITH YOU:
-completed form
-2 A5 envelopes with the correct postage
-your student card + photocopies of each side
-proof of your insurance (mentioned above) + 2 photocopies
11. They will print out 3 copies of a convention de stage with the info from the form filled in. You will need to sign it there.
12. Take all 3 copies back to the HR department of your job and have them sign and stamp all 3 copies.
13. Take the signed copies back to the Convention de Stage office with the A5 envelopes. They will mail a copy of the completed convention to you and to HR.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Getting Settled
Here's the order I went about getting settled after fumbling around trying to figure stuff out!
1. Get a Navigo Metro Card
The metro doesn't sell paper Carte Orange anymore. Stop by a RATP agence commerciale, which are listed on their website under "contacts utiles" and get a Navigo. When I have to get to Nanterre, I buy a monthly pass of 3 zones (around 70 euros). If you get here before school starts and don't need to go to Nanterre, just buy for 2 zones. Its a lot cheaper than buying separate tickets everyday and will make the apartment hunting a lot easier. Navigo works on bus, metro, RER, and makes using the Vélib bike system easier.
2. Get an apartment
3. Get Carte de Sejour
If you are a non-EU citizen, go HERE. I'd try and get a Carte de Sejour ASAP. It makes opening a bank account much easier, and after you have your Carte de Sejour and a bank account, you can apply for a monthly CAF stipend (usually around 150-180euros a month) from the French government. You will get the CAF retroactively for all the time you're paying rent except the 1st month. It's fabulous.
4. Open bank account
1. Get a Navigo Metro Card
The metro doesn't sell paper Carte Orange anymore. Stop by a RATP agence commerciale, which are listed on their website under "contacts utiles" and get a Navigo. When I have to get to Nanterre, I buy a monthly pass of 3 zones (around 70 euros). If you get here before school starts and don't need to go to Nanterre, just buy for 2 zones. Its a lot cheaper than buying separate tickets everyday and will make the apartment hunting a lot easier. Navigo works on bus, metro, RER, and makes using the Vélib bike system easier.
2. Get an apartment
3. Get Carte de Sejour
If you are a non-EU citizen, go HERE. I'd try and get a Carte de Sejour ASAP. It makes opening a bank account much easier, and after you have your Carte de Sejour and a bank account, you can apply for a monthly CAF stipend (usually around 150-180euros a month) from the French government. You will get the CAF retroactively for all the time you're paying rent except the 1st month. It's fabulous.
4. Open bank account
Things To Do Before You Arrive:
1. Get your student visa!
2. Get your birth certificate translated
You'll need this for your Carte de Séjour. Note: I didn't have mine translated when I went in but the lady was very friendly and didn't even mention it. But I would not count on it to happen again! I think I was lucky! If you don't have it translated when you get here, you can go to the mayor's office of your arrondissement and pick up a list of approved translators. That option can take time and be expensive.
3. DO NOT buy tons of passport photos from Kinko's
Someone told me to get tons of passport photos before heading over because you need them for EVERYTHING. While the later is true, you can get them for very cheap (4 for 4euros i think) in any train station photo booth instead of giving kinko's $20.
I'll add to this list as I think of other things...
2. Get your birth certificate translated
You'll need this for your Carte de Séjour. Note: I didn't have mine translated when I went in but the lady was very friendly and didn't even mention it. But I would not count on it to happen again! I think I was lucky! If you don't have it translated when you get here, you can go to the mayor's office of your arrondissement and pick up a list of approved translators. That option can take time and be expensive.
3. DO NOT buy tons of passport photos from Kinko's
Someone told me to get tons of passport photos before heading over because you need them for EVERYTHING. While the later is true, you can get them for very cheap (4 for 4euros i think) in any train station photo booth instead of giving kinko's $20.
I'll add to this list as I think of other things...
Housing Search Info - How and Where
There are 5 main options I know of for housing:
1. Going through a rental agency
Agency fees are very pricey (usually run between 500-700 euros). This is NOT a security deposit, but a onetime fee. You need to have a complete dossier to apply for an apartment in order to be competitive. Although preparation is more tedious, this option can get you a really good rental price (usually better than some of the other options) and makes a lot of sense if you are staying in the apartment for 2 years straight. The agency fee, spread over time, often turns out to be a lot cheaper than getting ripped off by an individual renting the apartment to foreigners (like what happened to me my first year here!)
4th - Le Marais - my favorite neighborhood by far. I lived near metro St Paul my third year in Paris (stumbled upon a sublet). It was ideal (Marais more so than the LQ in my opinion) but is normally very expensive (pay lot for small space). I got lucky =)
11th - Where I lived my first year. I was right at Place de la République, which is relatively convenient but very commercial. It a more mixed neighborhood ethnically and economically which adds a really cool, more real feel to the neighborhood. If you can find something near the more southern end of Canal St Martin, you tend to get more space for your money, so there tend to be a lot of students and young people. I subletted my friend's apartment next to metro Goncourt and was really happy though it can get a tiny bit shady late at night. Oberkampf is an area somewhat similar to Adams Morgan with tons of bars and cheap but decent restaurants (not jumbo slice).
15th - have some friends, a married couple, who lived there and LOVED it. they said you could get a huge place for cheap and its very safe with lots of fun things to do.
1. Going through a rental agency
Agency fees are very pricey (usually run between 500-700 euros). This is NOT a security deposit, but a onetime fee. You need to have a complete dossier to apply for an apartment in order to be competitive. Although preparation is more tedious, this option can get you a really good rental price (usually better than some of the other options) and makes a lot of sense if you are staying in the apartment for 2 years straight. The agency fee, spread over time, often turns out to be a lot cheaper than getting ripped off by an individual renting the apartment to foreigners (like what happened to me my first year here!)
For this option, Seloger.com will have listings at great value for the space. However, it is very competitive... your dossier (see above) will be competing with Frenchies who have French guarantors.
The easiest option by far (and incredibly nice apartments) can be found at Lodgis.com but it is pretty expensive. The advantage is that they expect to rent to foreigners staying for a year or less so the dossier is much simpler. Also, you can search by your specific dates, which is a huge timesaver (don't have to spend hours scanning/calling to figure out if your dates would work).
2. Renting/Sub-letting through an individual
This option allows you to avoid agency fees. Some people, like my friend David, have a really good experience. I, on the other hand, got screwed over by my landlord. My apartment was extremely overpriced and the guy ended up keeping my security deposit. I was overpaying by about 100 euros a month compared to other places in the same area with similar features, and he kept 800 euros deposit, so it would have been the same/cheaper for me to just go through an agency and a lot less anguish. But my experience may be an exception and not the rule.
Both my friend David and I found my first apartment on Craigslist Paris.
2. Renting/Sub-letting through an individual
This option allows you to avoid agency fees. Some people, like my friend David, have a really good experience. I, on the other hand, got screwed over by my landlord. My apartment was extremely overpriced and the guy ended up keeping my security deposit. I was overpaying by about 100 euros a month compared to other places in the same area with similar features, and he kept 800 euros deposit, so it would have been the same/cheaper for me to just go through an agency and a lot less anguish. But my experience may be an exception and not the rule.
Both my friend David and I found my first apartment on Craigslist Paris.
Another great site for this type of housing is PAP.fr (particulier à particulier)
I've also heard many people find a place through Fusac.fr but they tend to be pretty pricey.
3. Finding a roommate who already has a place
This is the option I did my 2nd year to avoid paying an agency fee, to live with a French person, and to avoid getting screwed by evil landlords. =) Overall, I was really happy with the living situation. And I had a huge apartment in a really cool and expensive area that is 200 euros cheaper than my tiny crappy place from my first year.
I used Appartager.com. Its worth paying for a month long membership, otherwise its difficult to get in touch with people on the site.
4. Find university housing
You'd have to pay me a lot of money to live at Nanterre. It's ugly and far and isolated at night because there's no metro (only trains). I know a girl who found housing at Cité Université and was happy there.
5. Staying with a host family
Not sure how to go about doing this...
Neighborhoods I'd Live In:
2nd Arrondissement - I lived in the 2nd near Rue Montorgueil during my second year in Paris. If you see any ads for near metros : Etienne Marcel, Sentier, Réamur Sebastopol, its a GREAT central location.
3. Finding a roommate who already has a place
This is the option I did my 2nd year to avoid paying an agency fee, to live with a French person, and to avoid getting screwed by evil landlords. =) Overall, I was really happy with the living situation. And I had a huge apartment in a really cool and expensive area that is 200 euros cheaper than my tiny crappy place from my first year.
I used Appartager.com. Its worth paying for a month long membership, otherwise its difficult to get in touch with people on the site.
4. Find university housing
You'd have to pay me a lot of money to live at Nanterre. It's ugly and far and isolated at night because there's no metro (only trains). I know a girl who found housing at Cité Université and was happy there.
5. Staying with a host family
Not sure how to go about doing this...
Neighborhoods I'd Live In:
2nd Arrondissement - I lived in the 2nd near Rue Montorgueil during my second year in Paris. If you see any ads for near metros : Etienne Marcel, Sentier, Réamur Sebastopol, its a GREAT central location.
3rd - I would love to find a place near metros Arts&Metier or Temple. It's the Marais but also really close to Republique and Canal St Martin (see below) and at the moment is my idea of the ideal neighborhood.
4th - Le Marais - my favorite neighborhood by far. I lived near metro St Paul my third year in Paris (stumbled upon a sublet). It was ideal (Marais more so than the LQ in my opinion) but is normally very expensive (pay lot for small space). I got lucky =)
11th - Where I lived my first year. I was right at Place de la République, which is relatively convenient but very commercial. It a more mixed neighborhood ethnically and economically which adds a really cool, more real feel to the neighborhood. If you can find something near the more southern end of Canal St Martin, you tend to get more space for your money, so there tend to be a lot of students and young people. I subletted my friend's apartment next to metro Goncourt and was really happy though it can get a tiny bit shady late at night. Oberkampf is an area somewhat similar to Adams Morgan with tons of bars and cheap but decent restaurants (not jumbo slice).
15th - have some friends, a married couple, who lived there and LOVED it. they said you could get a huge place for cheap and its very safe with lots of fun things to do.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Broadstrokes - Advice to 1Ls considering applying to Paris Dual Degree Program
To share my own perspective, I think it might be helpful to understand what I wanted out of the program and how it has fit those needs. Going into law school, I knew I wanted to work on an international level of some sort, but was confused as to where/how/what field/etc. I also wanted to make a good amount of money for a few years and then move into govt/nonprofit/intl org later down the road. I was hoping to work in a large international law firm immediately after law school. Unfortunately, my grades and lack of journal did not make me the most desirable candidate in the states. I wanted to differentiate myself from the hundreds of other students who are not in the top 20%, and so I decided that although it wasn't a well-developed academic path, that the dual degree might be my best option.
I have to say that the academic experience is not nearly at the level of quality I had at WCL. It's unorganized and tedious and a lot of times impractical. Having said that, if you are self-motivated and proactive, you can get a lot out of the courses here, but you have to fight through it. And it's not easy to get settled here either as the simplest sounding things can take a lot of running around. I feel like it took a good 4-5 months before I felt really settled. I've studied abroad before, but since the program is still shaky, it took a lot longer to get things organized.
I honestly don't know what the value-added is if you want to go back to the states immediately after doing the degree, but I do know that dual degree students have opportunities at top American law firms here in Paris that would not have hired them in the States. The salary is not as high as the same positions in the States. I didn't land those jobs anyways, so it's a non-issue for me (though maybe not for you).
Over the summer after my 1L year, I took BA and Crim Pro while I was working. It was a very busy summer but I am really glad I did because it opened up my 2L year. I also took evidence with rice (who is really hard, but one of the best profs I've ever had, so if you want to really learn it, take it with rice, though you basically work your ass off praying to at least get a B, if you stay on top of it, it's not impossible to get an A.)
I'm very glad I did took classes over the summer. If you calculate it out, you end up saving about $5000 by taking classes both summers and then paying part-time tuition over your 3rd year (dean jaffe explained it to me pretty well, the registrar can help you figure it out too). This maximizes your money as well because paying full-time tuition while going to Nanterre is basically highway robbery because the classes are not nearly as valuable here as they are at WCL. Taking 3 summer classes over 2 summers worked out really well for me in both planning my academic curriculm for my 2L year, getting the most value out of my tuition costs, and saving money to boot.
The payment method-part-time scheme I'm talking about works if you are going to Nanterre or stay in DC. So if you aren't sure about Nanterre yet, I would seriously consider doing it anyways. If you decide not to go to Nanterre, you can get some really great work experience in DC during your 3rd year that might lead to a job. DC is full of amazing opportunities that are much easier to get during the school year because you aren't competing with students from all over the country for internships.
So! My main advice at the moment is to see how you do in fall recruitment and see if you can land a big summer associateship for your 2L summer. If you can, I would rethink doing the dual degree UNLESS you are interested in living in France. If you can't get a summer associate position and want to make money while doing intl law, I would lean more towards coming to Nanterre.
I have to say that the academic experience is not nearly at the level of quality I had at WCL. It's unorganized and tedious and a lot of times impractical. Having said that, if you are self-motivated and proactive, you can get a lot out of the courses here, but you have to fight through it. And it's not easy to get settled here either as the simplest sounding things can take a lot of running around. I feel like it took a good 4-5 months before I felt really settled. I've studied abroad before, but since the program is still shaky, it took a lot longer to get things organized.
I honestly don't know what the value-added is if you want to go back to the states immediately after doing the degree, but I do know that dual degree students have opportunities at top American law firms here in Paris that would not have hired them in the States. The salary is not as high as the same positions in the States. I didn't land those jobs anyways, so it's a non-issue for me (though maybe not for you).
Over the summer after my 1L year, I took BA and Crim Pro while I was working. It was a very busy summer but I am really glad I did because it opened up my 2L year. I also took evidence with rice (who is really hard, but one of the best profs I've ever had, so if you want to really learn it, take it with rice, though you basically work your ass off praying to at least get a B, if you stay on top of it, it's not impossible to get an A.)
I'm very glad I did took classes over the summer. If you calculate it out, you end up saving about $5000 by taking classes both summers and then paying part-time tuition over your 3rd year (dean jaffe explained it to me pretty well, the registrar can help you figure it out too). This maximizes your money as well because paying full-time tuition while going to Nanterre is basically highway robbery because the classes are not nearly as valuable here as they are at WCL. Taking 3 summer classes over 2 summers worked out really well for me in both planning my academic curriculm for my 2L year, getting the most value out of my tuition costs, and saving money to boot.
The payment method-part-time scheme I'm talking about works if you are going to Nanterre or stay in DC. So if you aren't sure about Nanterre yet, I would seriously consider doing it anyways. If you decide not to go to Nanterre, you can get some really great work experience in DC during your 3rd year that might lead to a job. DC is full of amazing opportunities that are much easier to get during the school year because you aren't competing with students from all over the country for internships.
So! My main advice at the moment is to see how you do in fall recruitment and see if you can land a big summer associateship for your 2L summer. If you can, I would rethink doing the dual degree UNLESS you are interested in living in France. If you can't get a summer associate position and want to make money while doing intl law, I would lean more towards coming to Nanterre.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
