Dijon semester of the 9th Generation

Two weeks after we submitted our papers for the Mainz semester, our studies in Dijon already started. While some were motivated to attend the lectures for both modules in the first week to decide which classes they enjoyed most, others decided already after the first class when they found out about the very different examination modalities of the two modules.

The organization of the semester left German students in particular speechless. We were very surprised when we found out that language courses only start in week three and end in November when we have other classes until February. Also, why does the schedule change at least once a week during the first three months and why is the semester even two months longer than the one in Mainz? We’ll probably never know, but at some point we just accepted it.

Besides, we were in Dijon not only to study, but also to discover the beautiful city and its culture: Some didn’t miss a Thursday night without a party at the Beverly or Melkior, others became the main sponsors of Coofies, the place with probably the best cookies in town. We also all benefited from the Carte Culture, which gives students a discount on theater, opera, and concert tickets.

Especially during the exam period, it was good for us to have a routine where we went to the library together in the morning, then to the canteen, and never returned to the library without first having a ‘café allongé’ at the Atheneum, the café on campus. Exam period feels muchless lonely when you’re together. And even though we were quite stressed sometimes, we still took the time to celebrate each other’s birthdays, go on day trips to Lyon and Beaune, and organize a running Christmas dinner.

To sum it up, we had a very interesting, sometimes challenging, sometimes more relaxing, semester which we all will probably never forget!

Anika
Member of EMADOM and the 9thGeneration