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Marin Chester
International Coursework
FRE3224: Floridians in Paris
Summer 2023
This class was one of two courses taken abroad during the summer of 2023. Taught by our program coordinator, this was a class that focused on having experiences just beyond the tourist experience. We took a sunset cruise on the Seine pointing out landmark buildings; we went on a scavenger hunt around Paris finding essential patisseries and viennoiseries; we visited La Cinémathèque Française and learned about the history of film in France. And that's just naming a few of the unique experiences! Taking this class taught me how to move around an unfamiliar area confidently in order to see more of the real culture behind the touristy spots. Because of this class's format, I attended a film screening solo of "Across the Spider-Verse" on the largest screen in Paris, Le Grand Rex, and learned that sweet and salty popcorn is a concession option in France.
FRE3300: Grammar and Composition
Fall 2023
FRE4956: French Art and Contemporary Culture
Summer 2023
This class was one of two courses taken abroad during the summer of 2023. In contrast to the Floridians in Paris course, this one was taught by a French professor. The topic of interest for this class was art history and architecture throughout Paris. Classes were taught in french and were often taught outside of the classroom in different arrondissements of the city. We also visited several museums, both well-known (Le Louvre) and lesser-known (Musée Gustave Moreau), describing an art piece that spoke to us. This class made me feel like an actual student in France because of its level of immersion in the community and its academically challenging subject. This was also the only class I've ever taken on art history, so it was a different perspective on academics of which I was familiar.
I took this course at the University of Florida with only a dozen other students. The small class size allowed for more comfortable discussion in class--of course in french--especially while we read the novel "Métaphysique des tubes." Reading this novel was a meaningful experience in global culture because it was the first french book I've ever read in length and unabridged. The philosophical concepts discussed were unfamiliar in American novels, which approach these topics in (typically) less literal ways. I enjoyed the new perspective. Furthermore, this class strengthened my ability and confidence to write in French, since we had weekly writing assignments using several tenses.
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