Je constate que dans les deux listes, réussir ses études est l’une des choses les plus importantes pour les étudiants en ce moment. Pourtant, chez les étudiants de Bowdoin, on rencontre aussi l’aspect “réussir ses études et une carrière future”, chose qui apparaît moins dans la liste de Toulouse. Ma question est donc: Est-ce courant aux États-Unis que les gens choisissent de faire des études supérieures pour avoir une carrière à succès ? Ou choisissent-ils des études qui leur plaisent,car ils ont envie d’apprendre, même s’il n’y a pas beaucoup de débouchés ?

To learn more about how to really listen to others, respect them and to respect myself. To fully understand that being the best or being better than others is not necessary for a fulfilling life. To fully embrace that other people’s success should and can bring me happiness. We are all in this together. We are all connected.

To answer Marie’s question, I think that most people study something that they are truly interested in, but that unless they are wealthy, they also take into account the chances of finding a career in that field as well.

Like Marie.C, I also noticed that Bowdoin students tended to write more about future employment prospects, while the students from Toulouse wrote more often about helping their families. To expand on Carol’s answer to your question, Marie, the United States economy went through a job recession fairly recently (ten-seven years ago), so i think that while our economy is definitely improving there are less high-paying jobs than there were ten years ago. I think that generally people do study what they are interested in, but it really depends on an individual’s values. This is not a societal thing in my opinion; there are many people who do not care at all about money, but there are also many students and adults who go through life hoping to make enough money to live luxurious lives. For those Americans who want to pursue high-paying, prestigious jobs these positions may be more difficult to get than they once were. Would you say that French students do not spend much time thinking about their career prospects as they go through school? Was France hit hard by The Great Recession around 2008, or did this event not really affect your lives?

I noticed that both the Toulouse and Bowdoin students seemed to either be mainly concerned with the current health and happiness of themselves, family, and friends, and that students from both schools were often concerned with succeeding in school now in order to find work and success in their futures. To me it seems like this might be because the socioeconomic systems of both countries put similar pressures on young, college age people. A common issue for people in my generation in the US is that even after graduating from good schools with good grades and experience, it can still be very difficult to find good jobs. Is this also a problem for young university students in France?

Pour répondre à ta question ChristianSG, il est également dur pour les français de notre génération de se projeter dans un futur dit “génération creuse” qui n’offrira que peu d’emplois pour les jeunes étudiants que nous sommes. C’est pour ça que je pense qu’il est essentiel de se diversifier un maximum et d’aller voir de nouveaux horizons et pays afin de voir les opportunités offertes partout dans le monde, histoire de ne pas rester dans une impasse !

Je constate que nos collègues à Bowdoing s’intéressent autant à la réussite des études que les étudiants à Toulouse. Effectivement, je suis d’accord avec @ChristianSG sur le fait que nous, étant la jeune génération, sommes soumis à une forte pression. C’est ainsi que de nos jours, beaucoup de jeunes souffrent des maladies mentales comme la dépression, le trouble bipolaire, l’anxiété, etc. On aurait dit que notre société est devenue de plus en plus toxique pour les jeunes esprits.
Cependant, je trouve qu’il y a quand même des différences entre les systèmes éducatifs français et américains. Par exemple, aux Etats-Unis, les frais de scolarité sont extrêmement élevés comparés à la France. De plus, j’ai pu voir des témoignages de diplômés américains qui doivent payer leur dette d’études pendant de longues années. Ainsi, je me sens tout à fait heureuse de pouvoir faire mes études en France, même si les établissements ne sont pas terribles parfois (amphithéâtres sans chauffage en hiver par exemple…) !

I noticed that a lot of the answers were the same between Bowdoin and Toulouse. I also think it is important to note that traveling was listed on the Toulouse side, but not really the Bowdoin side. It seems that most of the students here believe it is important to find a job directly out of college rather than traveling and exploring the world. I would love to travel, but here there is a high emphasis on making a lot of money and finding a good job as soon as possible. Is the pressure to find a job right out of college the same in Toulouse? Or are things more relaxed?