In France, exams and assignments work much differently than they do in the U.S. The grading system is on a scale of 1–20, with 10 being a pass and 18 being an incredibly high score that is not typically achieved by students. It is near unthinkable to give out a score of 20/20 here, because the mindset is that nobody is perfect and something can always be improved. For the majority of classes, there aren’t assignments due every week like in the U.S., your grade is typically based completely on presentations, quizzes and exams. This definitely made me feel a lot more pressured to get good grades on tests and quizzes, because even a midterm exam can account for upwards of 30% of my grade, with finals accounting for 40–60%.

All of my exams will occur the first week of April, so the month of March has been quite stressful in terms of preparing for quizzes and exams that could make or break my grade. That being said, the month of March hasn’t just been about academics. I’ve also been continuing to adjust to cultural differences, enjoying weekend markets and trying to make time to enjoy where I am — even if most of my weekdays were spent in the library or at my desk. It’s been a month of learning, both inside and outside the classroom.

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Learn more about this blogger’s study abroad program: University Jean Moulin-Lyon III