Un autre aspect précieux de l'étude du français à l'Université de Waterloo est la socialisation. À chaque cours de français et événement du département, je me sentais plus proche de la communauté académique et linguistique. La petite taille des classes a permis des liens personnels avec mes pairs. Réviser le travail de chacun, étudier ensemble et socialiser avec des pairs et des membres du Cercle Français, tout cela a rendu l'expérience académique tellement plus agréable.
Pendant mon baccalauréat, je ne m'attendais pas à découvrir autant d'amis, de connaissances et de passions. Je suis tellement reconnaissant envers tous les professeurs, assistants à l'enseignement, membres du département et camarades de classe qui ont rendu ces quatre années si merveilleuses. Merci beaucoup !
Having just finished my undergrad, I reflect upon my four years at the University of Waterloo, where I double majored in French and Legal Studies, and I can’t help but smile and feel grateful for all the fond memories I made over the course of my academic journey. I have always loved the French language and its many diverse cultural aspects, so I chose to make this discipline one of my majors. In first year, I felt relatively comfortable conversing in French; I now feel confident. My skills drastically improved since starting my studies in 2018. Each course offered unique challenges and struggles, but ultimately, as my classmates and I persevered through the tricky modules and concepts, we developed our grammatical, written, and language skills. From French literature I never would have thought to read, to learning an entirely new alphabet for French phonetics, my time in Honours French certainly opened my eyes to a new world. Professors were easily accessible and always happy to explain or reiterate a lesson.
Another valuable aspect of studying French at the University of Waterloo is the socialization. With every French course and department event, I felt closer to the academic and linguistic community. The smaller size of the classes allowed for personal connections with my peers. Editing each other’s work, studying together, and socializing with peers and members of the Cercle Français, all made the academic experience so much more enjoyable.
During my undergrad, I did not expect to discover so many friends, acquaintances, and passions. I’m so grateful for all of the professors, TAs, department members, and fellow classmates who made these four years so wonderful. Thank you!