What My Week Looks Like as Student in Paris (Busy days, Chill days, and Weekends)

Salut tout le monde !

Okay so technically I’m not a student anymore since I just defended and validated my research (yay!), but I still thought it would be fun to share what my schedule was like as a Master’s student living in Paris. I’m basing this post off of my Spring semester.

Lundi

Wake up and relax

My Mondays did not start super early, so I would take the time to sleep in a little bit and slowly wake up before starting my day.

Run or Yoga

I like exercising in the morning because it’s over with earlier in the day, it wakes me up, and I don’t have to worry about changing outfits/showering at a weird time of day. I got more into running this year and I even ran a half-marathon in March! My favorite places to run in Paris include the various gardens (Luxembourg, Jardin des Plantes, Tuileries), along the Seine, la coulée verte, and the Bois de Vincennes. I also love doing yoga because it relaxes me, makes my body feel good, and helps me with my strength and flexibility. It’s also great paired with running!

 

Start Studying

As much as I would have liked to keep pretending it was the weekend, I had to start studying/working on assignments after exercising and eating lunch. On Mondays I would either work at home or go to Middlebury’s Centre Madeleine before heading to class.

Go to History Class

On Mondays I had my French Monarchy of the Renaissance class, which was 2 1/2 hours long. Even though I was specializing in Pedagogy and Linguistics, a history credit was still required. I thought this class was going to be easy because I already knew a little bit about the subject, but boy was I wrong! Becuase I was used to literature and pedagogy style writing, history methodology was one of my biggest challenges this semester. Although I was not happy to be struggling, I think it was a good ego-check to remind me that I’m not good at everything (and I don’t have to be) and it’s okay to ask for help if you need it! I’m still not sure what my grade is ( it’s not the most important), but I know I passed and I am thankful to have gone through that academic challenge ( I think it will help me relate to struggling students in the future)!

Make dinner for the week

When I got home from class on Mondays I would usually meal prep for the week by making a large amount of one kind of meal I could have for lunches or dinners. I live in a foyer/student housing so my kitchen is shared, plus I get really busy during the week so meal prepping saves me time.

Some of the typical things I would make this past year include:

• Curry Carrot Lentil Soup
• Chickpea Wraps
• Veggie Chili and Rice
• Veggie Tajine and Couscous
• Ratatouille with Pasta

 

Let me know in the comments if you would like me to post any of these recipes!

Mardi

Work

Tuesdays were my busiest days of the week because I had work and two classes. This year I worked part time for 10 hours a week as an English assistant in a private school (kind of like the TAPIF program, but I applied directly through the school). On Tuesdays I taught four classes starting at 8:30, two classes were 6th grade (6e), one was 11th grade (première), and the last one was a group of bilingual 8th graders (5e). After teaching I would run home and quickly eat lunch before heading to class.

Plurilinguisme Class

At 1 pm I had class at the Sorbonne with my friend Helen, who did the same specialization as me. This was a super interesting class about the myths of bilingual and plurilingual people, the different types of bilingualism, how the members of our class learned different languages and in what contexts we use them. FYI you do not have to have mastered the languages you speak/write perfectly to be bi or plurilingual !

Phonetics Class

After our two hour class at the Sorbonne, Helen and I would rush to the metro, grab a quick coffee, then head to the Centre Madeleine for our 1 1/4 hour Phonetics class. I’ve already taken phonetics before, so this class was mostly just fun extra speaking practice for me. Once you learn phonetics, pronouncing words in French is much easier and more intuitive!

Relax

When I got home on Tuesdays I would usually go straight to my bed and relax until I fell asleep because I would be so exhausted. But sometimes my boyfriend would come over for dinner and hang out. I remember when we first started dating he asked me on a Tuesday morning if he could see me in the evening and I said “Maybe if I’m not too tired” because Tuesdays were super busy for me.

Mercredi

Run or Yoga

Again on Wednesdays I don’t have class until later, so I like to start my day with a little exercise. I will admit that sometimes I let life get in the way and mess up my exercise schedule. Anyone have any tips on how to stay consistent when life gets busy/stressful?

Work at a Café

Before class stared  in the evening I liked to get out of the house and either work at a café or at the library.

Here are some of my fave places to work and drink coffee in Paris :

• Jozi Café
• Strada Café
• Judy Cantine Qualitarienne
• DOSE

Verbal Interactions Class

At 5 pm I had my Verbal Interactions class at the Sorbonne for two hours. In this class we talked about different types of interactions like conversation, conference, interview and how to transcribe and analyse interactions.

Date Night

After class I would head over to Montreuil, a city on the outskirts of Paris to have date night with my boyfriend. As we are both gourmands we like to cook, but also try different restaurants in the area. For our first date he made me vegetarian tacos! We also go to movies or bars, but my favorite thing to do is just walk around Paris in the evening.

Jeudi

Research Methods Class

Once a month we would have a research methods class at the Centre Madeleine to learn how to write our research papers! For my research, I did a small study about teenagers’ speaking anxiety in Foreign language class. This was challenging, but extremely rewarding and even kinda fun becuase I was passionate about the topic! I don’t know if I will become a researcher anytime soon, I definitely prefer teaching! After class, I would work at the Centre Madeleine then go to Phonetics class.

Language Exchange

On Thursday evenings is when I would go to the famous language exchange where I met my bf! I think language exchanges are so fun and a great way to meet people in a new city. Everyone there is there to meet new people so it’s not awkward to strike up a conversation with people, plus you get a real-life situation to practice that new language you’re learning!

Vendredi

Work

On Fridays I had a full teaching day from 9:00 – 4:00. Six hours of work might not seem like that much, but six hours is a full day of teaching! On Fridays I had classes with all age groups, but mostly 14 year olds, who can be fun to teach, but are also the hardest group behavior-wise! By the end of the day I would be so tired I would take a nap as soon as I got home.

Apéro

On Friday evenings after my nap, I would some how have energy to go out with my friends. Somethings we like to do are having an apéro, which is kind of like happy hour. Basically before (or instead of dinner) you bring snacks and your drink of choice to someone’s house or to a park or by the quai of the Seine. We also like trying new bars and restaurants.

Samedi

Sleep in or Exercise

Depends on how I’m feeling! Sometimes I’m motivated to exercise, sometimes I want to sleep in after the long week.

Random Event

On Saturdays, what I do could vary. Sometimes I would have picnics with my friends, go on a day trip with my bf, go to a free event going on in Paris.

 

Restaurant Dinner

On the weekends I usually go out to eat with friends or mon copain. We usually end up eating pizza, burgers, international cuisine, and sometimes even French food, but only if there is a vegetarian item on the menu!

Dimanche

Run or Yoga

If I didn’t exercise on Saturday I’ll usually run or do yoga. I do yoga at home using videos, but sometimes I make it out to a class! I practice at home becuase I am a student and yoga classes are expensive here, but worth it once in a while becuase the teaches motivate you and help you with your form.

Brunch

Okay, so brunch is usually very expensive in Paris and not as much food as you could get in the US. So, my bf and I usually will make our own brunch! I’ve been really craving breakfast sandwiches lately, something I don’t even think exists in France!

Expo

On the first Sunday of every month, museums in Paris offer free entry! My favorite museum in Paris is the Musée d’Orsay where you can find lots of impressionist paintings.

Thanks for sticking around to read this long article! What day of the week is your favorite?

À la prochaine,

Cam