Now that I’ve officially made it through my first school year at French International School of Beijing (LFIP), as a foreigner with no real French connections, I realize that in all actuality, I do actually have connections! It’s a journey I look back at with a nostalgic smile, remembering how terrified I was walking through the gates on that first day. Then feeling proud of myself when I walked out ten months later, with a much stronger understanding of the French language and culture. Nevertheless, these ten months were filled with struggles and triumphs, late-night laughs with friends, and rant sessions that have been sworn to secrecy. This past year has been amazing, but there are five things that I wish I had known before I stepped onto LFIP’s campus.
1. The French value their time away from work
This is somewhat of a double-edged sword. On one hand, the world needs to learn from the French, that “it’s time to take some time off work!” and talk about something else. But on the other hand, for workaholics like me who have grown up hustling, when you want to reach anyone on weekends or on vacation, it’s a ghost town. It was very frustrating, but as I immersed myself more in the French environment, I began to appreciate this sort of “slow down and have a glass of wine” way of life, even if it’s something I don’t think I could adopt in the long term.
2. The French speak French…Until they don’t
I walked into the French school having finished Third Year French at my previous school, which should have equipped me with the necessary tools to understand what was going on at LFIP, right? Nope! Because French kids may speak French, but it’s not entirely French. What I mean by that is, technically they’re speaking the French language, but much like any other culture, every other word is slang. How am I supposed to understand anything if the majority of it wasn’t covered in my Third Year French class? For the first few weeks, my classmates spoke French to me at what seemed like 60 miles per hour, and I just stood there, already too lost to catch up. I did somehow get the grade to speak English to me though, but that’s a story for another time…
3. Doing things the “French Way”
Remember all those problems in math class that call for three different types of solutions, and you scratched your head in confusion? Or when you just couldn’t nail down a thesis for your history paper because there were simply too many things to write about? Well, here, at LFIP, that’s not a problem – there’s only one way. It’s the “French Way.” For math, I clung to my American and Chinese methods like they were my lifeline, and in history, I often broke free from the structures that were given. I struggled to let that go, but at this school, adapting to its methods proved to be useful – it did get me the grades.
4. School ends at 5.30pm for high schoolers
I had walked into LFIP expecting to take the bus home at 3.30pm, as I’d done during my time at International School of Beijing (ISB). Turns out, classes for high schoolers end at 5.30pm. Thus, no extracurriculars. I remember struggling to stay attentive during afternoon classes for a good portion of the year, knowing that from the minute the clock strikes 2.30pm, there would be four more hours to go. However, there was one redeeming quality: because school ends so late, there’s significantly less homework each night. Now that I’m looking back, those extra two hours a day gave me so much more time with the people I know I’ll miss terribly.
5. Some teachers will go the extra mile for their students
This saved me at LFIP, quite literally, especially during the first half of the year, when I was struggling to adjust and some teachers went out of their way to make me feel supported. I just wish I had known it all before the first day. At any rate, around mid-November, I was experimenting with scriptwriting and my English literature teacher took time out of his lunch hour, plus hours over the weekends, to help me refine my work. When I had mock trial competitions, my history teachers supported me with any resources that they had, sometimes sacrificing parts of their lunch hours and breaks to discuss with me. This level of dedication and passion really made a difference in my experience at the French school, one I’ll always be grateful for.
So, for anyone who’s planning to start at LFIP (especially those who don’t really speak French), it can be particularly daunting, however, at the end of the day the students and teachers are incredibly supportive. There will be struggles and there will be times when you just feel like staying home and skipping school, but hopefully, these five tips will help you survive and get a sneak peek into the school life of LFIP students.
KEEP READING: I Hate to Admit It, But My Mom Was Right About the French School
Images: Emily Hellqvist
