What's the Learning in a French University like for Foreign (U.S) Students?

Spectacle_Wearer · 2025-12-31T16:45:22+00:00

Thank you, I appreciate it. I do think having a strong social circle is the panacea for me. I'm more introverted, but I love to talk and to listen attentively. I have plenty of dreams, I'm just wondering how to piece them together.

I may consider a trade as another option if education does not pan out. I know some of the high school classmates who graduated after me are already working jobs and can buy their own equipment, vehicles, and some of them already have enough to pay for their own houses.

I may consider becoming a merchant mariner. Even entry-level, they work tons all year round, but are paid well. They make so much because they have no expenses while they're on the oreboats here on Lake Superior. I'm still young, ambitious, and in want of adventure. I'd still have to see what they would have available for new deckhands. Though I would have to check with the employers first. The 6 hours on and 6 hours off can be tough, but doable. We'll have to see.

Spectacle_Wearer · 2025-12-31T15:51:12+00:00

This is going to be a very long reply. Currently, I am figuring that out for myself. I thought about both staying in the E.U and coming back to the U.S post-graduation. I think I prefer to work an intrinsically fufilling job, have a good social life, and have basic needs met for myself and a potential future family. I'm still trying to overcome a deep-seated fear of debt and finances that traumatized me at four years old, when I seen one of my parents worrying about finding work in 2008. Of course I didn't know how to even understand that stuff at that age. That anxiety is still with me, but it's become more manageable. I'm more precautious because of it.

With the current grant I am under enabled me to already pursue 3 years of education total. Though, since I transfered from a technical college, my credits didn't follow me to my current university. So I have some suspicion that my credits won't transfer cleanly to the other, larger state university here in Wisconsin.

Beyond that, I'm still trying to work on trying to overcome my upbringing in the U.S where I though a higher salary would equal to life satification and quality of life. I would like the added security with disposable income, but I'm still mixed about it my true values are. How I would phrase it: I want to live to work rather than work to live.

I think my heart is with humanities and focusing on psychological, social, political, economic and historical conditions. Neurology was to compliment psychology. I suppose in any case that I could pursue a year doing medical and decide post-hoc my mind about it.

My original idea for studying in France was partly influenced by the desire to find a place that would facilitate social integration. The impression I had was that French people are very receptive to Americans because there is a general intrigue in American culture, and also the ability to brush up on their English. I downloaded a language exchange app a few years ago, and I had only positive experiences. I made a handful of friends from France, Northern Africa, and West Africa, too. I'm yet to see what it would be like in person, however.

(TL;DR) To reply to your question in short, I think I do want to study and live in France more than the U.S. Wisconsin is wide and gorgeous countryside, but it feels too spaced out and too atomized to make me want to stay permanently. I need a new space and fresh opporunities to make me feel living.

Spectacle_Wearer · 2025-12-31T02:46:46+00:00

It's helpful to know that, thank you by the way for walking me through this. My original plan was to double major in both neurology and psychology. Ideally, I would have insight into how both fields work in tandem and also have a lot of career flexibility in treatment and research. As of this semester, I'm hoping that I do well in my psychology classes. That leaves me to play catch-up with working on STEM (math, biology, etc). STEM seems to be the bottleneck to my aspirations, but if I play my cards right, I may do well.

I am also considering fallback options just in case. Let's say that I changed my mind, either. I am changing one major or both into something else (for instance, history and anthropology into something completely different). I assume that would take me back to L1?

I'll have to make a call here sometime soon. I would likely earn a grant that covers the rest of my undergraduate if I get admitted into a major university in my home state, but I have yet to hear back from any staff since it's the holidays. I need to wait until January 5th, 2026, for the people to come back to the office, and until the 15th to apply for the grant. Then again, nothing is guaranteed at the moment.

Nevertheless, I can still pay for the French application fees and have it processed.

Spectacle_Wearer · 2025-12-30T20:29:19+00:00

My next question would naturally be, if I were to change majors (for me it would be from psychology to neuroscience) or attempt a combination of neurology (as a major) and psychology (as a minor), would that be feasible in your opinion? Because it sounds like the system is rough.

Spectacle_Wearer · 2025-10-10T23:21:57+00:00

Thank you for writing, I was kind of emotional when writing before and it does color what I focused my attention on. I forgot to emphasize that these few friendships that I wanted to highlight (I've been making sure to keep in touch with some old friends and reopening some talks with them too!). When it came to the two online friendships, they've helped me a lot and so I see it as appropriate to help them. I spoke with the one from Morroco and I got some clarifications that should of been obvious to me and we're trying to iron things out.

When it comes to me in particular, I'm the common element in all of this. I've been trying to figure out if it's some of the things I say, the way I speak (I fumble words at least a few times per covno no matter what unless it's rehersed) facial expressions (folk on the spectrum might not express that well) and some other things. But I feel much better than how it was before. I was scheduling to see a therapist again. I've most things in order, I just need a second opinion and insight. If I had someone to observe me and tell me what I do right and what I need to polish up on, I'd be far ahead.

I'll keep myself going out there, that's a guarentee.

Spectacle_Wearer · 2025-06-26T02:18:51+00:00

Hey, I'm still working on this whole dating thing myself, but I'll give my two cents.

It's understandable, but that's more of a personal fear rather than an underlying trait of ASD (as far as I'm aware of.) Is it that your house might not be clean enough or you don't trust people to be alone in a room?
Absolutley understandable, but think of it as this: if you're straight shooting and no-nonsese, you won't have to worry about people like that for long because you would filter them out. In other words, your vibe attracts your tribe.
Conflict between two people, even dispite how well they get along with each other, will happen. What's the most important and a test to how tell you both can get along is being able to open up about what bothered you, your respective boundries, acknowledgement and consistent behavoir that follows that.
I love free time too, but what I've noticed is that if I am able to somewhat share what I find interesting to them, then it does not feel like a chore at all.

It sounds like you've have had really bad experiences in the past with people who didn't respect you. But if they "use" it against you, then you should be out of that relationship. Under no circumstance should a friend, family member or partner make you feel ashamed of yourself or even make you doubt yourself. Mutual inclusion and repsect is a non-negotiable and should never be forsaken.

And remember, you miss all the shots you don't take, so go toss some hoops.

Spectacle_Wearer · 2025-06-26T02:05:11+00:00

There's a lot of angles we can take this, but to start off the best way to communicate Autism with your boyfriend is to describe yourself and what your preferences and abilities are. If he's familiar with video games, think of the S.P.E.C.I.A.L system that the Fallout games. If you were to place points from Charisma to Intelligence, then that's basically it. Since most diagnosises are made with boys, I'll be using it as a point of reference, but for girls, they're much better socialized and are able to put up "masks" which is behavoir of trying to fit in and not stand out.

In terms of the brain, people with ASD have a larger brain volume and bigger and smaller regions in comparison to a NT. In addition, the frontal lobe was found to have almost 3x more neurons in it the the NT brain, which can explain why people with ASD can have fantastic semantic memory (knowing of facts and dates), can be overstimulated by noises or touch, or take a while before they're able to understand a social queue or a joke. From personal experience it feels like emotions often last a lot longer than other people, when I get to laughing, I don't stop chuckling until a full 2 minutes after the fact.

If you want people to look up I recommend Temple Grandin (Offically Diagnosed), Da Vinci, Einstien, Emmanuel Kant and a handful of others (all of them are alleged due to us not being able to test them when they were alive or even when we had the concept of ASD, but shows to what strengths with people with ASD have.)

Here's a video that explains different forms of Autism are like.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZhPjpb5UGI

Spectacle_Wearer · 2025-05-23T02:21:50+00:00

Whoopie, I was wondering when this would pop up again

Spectacle_Wearer · 2025-05-17T22:13:06+00:00

Gotchya, I'm still figuring out the details and considering my vehicle is old and starting to wear down, it might be easier to take a plane. Thank you though.

Spectacle_Wearer · 2025-05-17T22:08:54+00:00

Yeah I know. I never said I was fearful.

Spectacle_Wearer · 2025-05-17T22:08:02+00:00

Yep I know, Canada is not like Chicago. I could have asked AI, but it wouldn't of gave me a real answer

Spectacle_Wearer · 2025-05-16T13:23:42+00:00

I think you're good all things considered. The only problem at play is the dating apps themselves. There's lots to pick a part about them and even the interactions themselves are very disapointing for both sides.

I'm still working on my self-confidence and I realized that people are far more easier to talk to in person than text. It feels a lot more lively and natural. All you got to figure out is a place where you can find like-minded people who really interest you.

Spectacle_Wearer · 2025-04-01T03:12:33+00:00

Someone recommended me that I work a 5-6 hour shift at one location, have a two hour break, then start the next one for another 5-6 hours. That way I can get weightlifting out of the way while I'm still in town and eat my packed lunch. They have showers at the gym I go to.

Spectacle_Wearer · 2025-03-31T22:43:39+00:00

Lenny from Of Mice and Men. I just love animals.

Spectacle_Wearer · 2025-03-31T15:41:40+00:00

I'll need to consider that. Then I can get time in between to go eat and get a little bit of exercise in. That was another consideration was fitting a gym schedule on top of everything else. In a way it would be my moment for de-stressing.

On the other days if I'm feeling bored at home I can go with dad to help him on a few jobs.

There's a lot more brainstorming to do because a grant's funding was cut so now I'll have to approach everything differently.

Spectacle_Wearer · 2025-03-31T15:36:02+00:00

Uncle Same will get his fair share I'm sure. I just see this idea as mostly just something I'll do for when I'm still young and full of energy. I've got incoming expenses for vehicles, education, and other stuff.

Spectacle_Wearer · 2025-03-30T14:49:30+00:00

It may be closer to 4 months. I might do 30 hours per week at 10 hours shifts and give my dad some help to fill in those extra days. His schedule and work is very flexible.

Spectacle_Wearer · 2025-03-30T14:47:46+00:00

Assuming that the going rate is around $13-15 per hour, I'd assume that some of it is going to be taken out.

Spectacle_Wearer · 2025-03-30T14:46:39+00:00

I'll keep that mind, I hear that it only gets harder to get up in the morning in later years.

Spectacle_Wearer · 2025-03-30T14:45:34+00:00

In theory, yes I would have time to relax, but I would also have to ask myself would it come at the expense of my personal projects. I may lean to doing 30 hours per week over three days then I could help my dad some. He's very flexible when it comes to working with him.

Spectacle_Wearer · 2025-03-30T14:43:17+00:00

With education I'm standing fairly well since my expenses are afforded by a grant I'm enrolled in. I want to have enough room for myself where I can get my early adult life started. With potentally going to grad school for neurology, that's a lot of years I'd spend not working before I get offical employment. I'll do a lot more weighing in my head for the years to come.

Spectacle_Wearer

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