French Students at UMTE

French Students at UMTE

29 September 2021

“If I could change anything, I would come to St. Petersburg…” Caroline Colson, the incoming student of the academic mobility program says. Yes, the pandemic changed our life dramatically and now we all have to deal with it. COVID-19 is still there but we don`t stop!

What does it feel like – to be a foreign student in the era of coronavirus. The students shared their experience.

How it all started

I chose the university because of quality of teaching. I wanted to improve my English and to start learning Russian. I also wanted to discover the historical, architectural and cultural heritage of St Petersburg and the country overall.

The process

Despite the distance, our welcoming with the administration, teachers and students was very warm. I think the idea of buddies is great. The UMEOS platform is also very practical. All the teachers were kind and attentive to us despite the current conditions.

Talking about the courses, I really enjoyed the material of the History of International Relations course and my favorite teaching method was the Financial and managerial accounting course. Unlike the French studying process, where we have one week gathering all the exams of a semester, the UMTE supposes that we are to have continuous assessment . However, the teaching method for students at distance allowed us to work and be followed up continuously, and I really appreciated that. More control over the long term allows students to be less stressed and focused.

Using the UMEOS platform for homework and exams was really convenient at a distance. The French teachers, for example, do not list the required assignments and reports (only for schedule).

Yes, I will recommend the UMTE to other students.

The difficulties

The only difficulty was the distance (ex: time difference, the connection problems). I didn't imagine my university exchange like this. If I could change anything, I would go to St. Petersburg because studying from home is not something I like. The concentration is less and so is the social interaction.

Education: Russia vs. France

In France, we have all the exams grouped together at the end of the semester (some subjects still require a mid-term exam but no weekly continuous assessment).

Even if all four of us are in a separate curriculum (25 students), we have a lot of classes in an amphitheater made up of at least 100 students or more.

In Russia, the teachers use the oral presentation method a lot, which I find good for developing our oral fluency. However, I find the content of the French subjects more complete.

Giving advice

I think that students should be more aware of the method of evaluation of each subject for some teachers were more precise than others. And don't be afraid to ask questions

 

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