Let’s talk academics. On my exchange at Jean Moulin Lyon III, my courses look as follows. Each class in my week lasts three hours instead of our typical 1.25-hour classes or 50-minute classes at Mizzou. This sounds daunting and sometimes can be, but there are always one or two 10-to-20-minute breaks during the class. The only exception is my French class which lasts for four hours. The classes themselves are structured in a variety of ways depending on the professor’s wishes. For example, my European Revolutionary Tide class had a written midterm worth 30 percent of the grade and the only other grade in the class is the final, which is a handwritten essay worth the other 70 percent.

I have two thoughts about this course design. For one, I like that there are fewer assignments because it gives me more time to live life abroad; I am able to take weekend trips to other countries or explore the surrounding region. However, the exams are quite stressful since they count for such a high percentage of your grade. That being said, I do have other classes that are structured in a way that puts more emphasis on essays, presentations or a few minor assessments paired with exams. It just depends on the course. So, how are assessments graded? The French grading system is vastly different from the American grading system. In France and in the SELF program at Jean Moulin, the exams are graded out of 20 points and a 10 is a passing score.

Typically, students will never receive a perfect score as there can always be improvement. This idea is evident with the French native professors, but the British professors tend to not follow the same logic. The SELF professors are very good at understanding our level of commitment as exchange students. Life abroad is meant to be an opportunity to learn and grow in not only academics but also as a person and this idea is reflected well in their course subjects and assignments provided.

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