What about studies?

I can't talk about my Erasmus mobility without talking about studies. And there is a lot to say...

When I moved to Athens, I was informed that some protests were going on because the government wanted to privatise the universities in Greece. The students were not very happy about it, to say the least, and  decided to occupy the buildings. The occupation lasted from the 20th of January to the 12th of March. Every Tuesday, the students would vote to decide if they would keep protesting, or not, until the law was passed.

The study and exam periods were, therefore, rescheduled and I officially started classes on the 11th of March, first online and then on site. It was not convenient at all because the administrative staff never responded our mails and we could not register nor choose our courses.

It was stressful, but I think it is still a great anecdote to tell. We are used to it in France and I was not disoriented.

If you want to apply for the Erasmus program, you will be asked to look at the lists of courses that each university offers. The lists change all the time, and you never know what courses you will be able to follow, or not, once there. However, I thought that it could be interesting to share with you the courses I chose for this semester.

To validate my semester, I have to complete a total of 30 ECTS (= points you get when you validate a course). In Athens, each course is 6 ECTS, except for the 8th semester's courses, which are 7,5 ECTS. I should probably specify that in Greece, the licence is in 4 years instead of 3, like in France. Each course lasts 3 hours and for most of them, the final exam is an essay to write at home.

Here is, then, the list of my courses.

1. Greek Language, 6 ECTS, 6h/week

Since I am in a foreign country, a non english-speaking country moreover, I thought that it was necessary to learn Greek in order to adapt myself and know more about the local culture. This is actually a great opportunity to learn another language and even though this one is definitely not the easiest one, I am quite proud about the progress I made.

2. Contemporary Greece, 6 ECTS, 6h/week during 7 weeks

This course was specially made for the Erasmus students. It is supposed to teach us about Greek culture in general. It is a very varied course and the professors change every week, depending on the topic studied: history, arts and museology (my favorite one so far), music, theater, literature, etc.

3. Film adaptation theories, 7,5 ECTS, 3h/week

This course is basically about how to change a thousand words into one image. We study some English literary texts, such as "The turn of the Screw', "The Great Gatsby", "The Yellow wall-paper", and then, we study their film adaptation. This is quite demanding, but Iwanted to challenge myself a bit. Also, for my master, I plan to write an essay about the representation of myths (Greek ones in particular) in pop culture, and especially in contemporary literature and cinema.

4. Fact and fiction : the sliperiness of truth in Renaissance Literature, 7,5 ECTS, 3h/week

It is mainly based on the representation of the self and the divine during the English Renaissance and the period of Reformation (Tudor Era), which I had already studied last semester, in France. It is a deep and complex topic, which allows me to understand the relationship between the human and the mythical. The teacher is very passionate and students participate a lot during class. It is a safe place for learning and debating. I love that!

5. Topics in Pragmatics, 6 ECTS, 3h/week

This is a linguistic course, which teaches the techniques used in an utterance and how to decipher the real meaning behind words. I am more interested in Literature and Civilisation courses, but I have to admit that this one is better than expected, and I think that it could be useful in the future, if I have to study some text or do research.

During this first month in Athens, I had time to study and visit a lot of museums and historical sites, and I had time to think about my professional life. If I thought at first that I was to become a teacher, I was wrong. I am definitely more interesting in the world of culture in general, especially in museology and cinema, and I may consider a carrer in cultural mediation. This is one of the best part of going on a trip alone: you always have new things to learn about yourself!