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How I Prepared For My Thesis Defense In France Posted by John Bauer on Oct 26, 2016
Part of mon mémoire (my thesis) involved not just studying, but practicing my French and making sure I knew how to present my ideas clearly. I needed beaucoup de préparation (a lot of preparation) if I wanted to get un vingt. A few weeks ago Taghreed left a comment asking for some tips on la…
Hit The Snooze Button! – Setting Your Alarm In French Posted by John Bauer on Oct 19, 2016
Being busy looking for a job and finishing my thesis has left me with little time to sleep. Le manqué de sommeil (the lack of sleep) over the past few months has left me constantly searching for le bouton snooze (the snooze button). Tous les soirs (every night) before I go to sleep je règle…
Different Types Of Work In France – CDI & CDD Posted by John Bauer on Oct 12, 2016
Looking through all les annonces d’emploi (the job offers) in France can be a confusing exercise in vocabulary. The technicalities of the type of job listed are hidden behind abbreviations that have very specific legal meanings. When looking for a job, whether it’s un job à plein temps ou à mi-temps (a full or part…
Setting The Stage – Internships In France Posted by John Bauer on Oct 5, 2016
During mon dernier semestre (my last semester) at school I had to split my time between mon mémoire et mon stage (my thesis and my internship), but at least in France you’re guaranteed to earn some money during le stage. There’s a law requiring un salaire minimum (a minimum wage) for les stagiaires (interns)! Faire…
Finding A Job In French Posted by John Bauer on Sep 28, 2016
These past few months I have had to constantly think about mon mémoire et la soutenance. Now that I have finished my degree there’s one question that everyone asks me: “Alors, qu’est-ce que vous allez faire maintenant ?” (So, what are you going to do now?) La vie étudiante (student life) gets you into…
Defending My Thesis In French Posted by John Bauer on Sep 21, 2016
Last week j’ai passé ma soutenance de mémoire (I defended my thesis). After working hard on mon mémoire, everything came down to un exposé (a presentation) in front of mes professeurs (my professors). La soutenance is the last step in completing un master (a master’s). Finding a concise way to present all la recherche et…
Blank Page Anxiety – Writer’s Block In French Posted by John Bauer on Sep 14, 2016
L’angoisse de la page blanche, the anxiety of the blank page, the French way to say writer’s block. The direct translation paints a pretty picture, but how much is lost in translation? While writing mon mémoire, I had to deal with l’angoisse de la page blanche all the time. I would write as long as…