Author: Zhou Tianyou
Link: What's the experience of living in France? -Zhou Tianyou's answer
Source: Zhihu.
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In 2008, I was admitted to a top science school in Paris:
Paris Institute of Advanced Mining (hereinafter referred to as
Mine, the name is a bit rustic, but in fact, most people go to consulting and finance after graduation. From then on, the life of Parisians began. The learning atmosphere of the college is not strong, and most people take nightlife, mixed diplomas and contacts as their main activities. There are many students from prominent backgrounds in the college. I began to understand the serious class solidification in France. Both the school and the dormitory are in the city center, which is very convenient. However, sports venues are strictly limited. If you want to play football or something, you must join the school club and practice with many strong people. So I started going to the gym at this time. Basically, five times a week, one hour at a time. Many French people are like me. Gymnasium is a good place to make friends. It was there that two French local friends who had the best relationship with me really chatted.
Paris is a beautiful but dirty, literary but vulgar city. The biggest advantage is that you can eat more authentic Chinese food with good taste. The second advantage is rich cultural activities, various exhibitions and concerts. But there are many arrogant people and hooligans. Students often lead an unrestrained nightlife, even if it is expensive. Students are often seen vomiting in the street at night. [...] Learned a lot of notes, skills and routines in chatting. Coupled with the usual communication with French friends, I have accumulated a lot of relaxed and interesting topics.
From September, 20 10 to June, 20 1 1 0, I did a gap year and two internships: I made a small model of an underground building in a university in the Austrian town of Leoben in the first six months, and studied process optimization in a factory in the suburb of Liege, Belgium in the last six months. [...]
20 1 1 After I returned to Paris, I chose the major of underground engineering. At the same time, I made an important decision: wear contact lenses. French people basically wear contact lenses for myopia, for one thing, because they often exercise, and for another, because they look better. French people generally pay great attention to their own image. I wear contact lenses and my image has improved a lot. I'm not a nerd anymore. At the same time, I learned simple double dance steps, which are special for nightclubs. Nightlife is no longer boring. [...] By chatting with all kinds of people, including many black Arab hooligans. I found that many people would tell me that what they usually dare not say is politically incorrect. I gradually integrated into French society and came to understand that the truth in France is actually quite different from what everyone in the world (including the French themselves) imagined.
20 12 graduated from mining institute, with a temporary master's degree in bronzing. I went to many different companies related to underground engineering, including subway, parking lot, mining and oil companies. At that time, it was the most difficult time for non-EU students to find a job, because when I was looking for a job, it was the most difficult time to get a work permit. Finally, it was collected by Total Oil Company, the largest company in France.