Studying in France as Americans: Errands, Opulence, and High Temps
One sentence that sums up our month of July as American graduate students at the Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne would be, “It was hot!” In addition to the boiling weather, we had a busy few weeks working towards our master’s…
How to Run a Successful Blog: Our Techniques for Consistently Posting Content Every Week
In 2019, Jalen and I decided to launch The Francofile, our shared online project that spans YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and this blog. With no prior social media experience and tons of content ideas, we embarked on the journey of…
How to Write a Stellar Mémoire (French Master’s Thesis)
Pursuing graduate studies in France entails mastering all sorts of assignments, but perhaps none as daunting as the notorious mémoire, or master’s thesis. Writing and defending a master’s thesis is the cornerstone of many, though not all, French graduate degrees,…
You Aren’t Doomed to Become an English Teacher in France
We know how the headline sounds, but hear us out. Though we believe that teaching is an admirable, necessary profession, especially in the domain of second-language acquisition, it’s simply not for everyone. However, we’ve noticed a theme among anglophones hoping…
Studying in France as Americans: Academic Triumphs and a New Summer’s Start
For Jalen and I, June has been a month fraught with anxiety, but also teeming with joy! As American students nearing the end of our graduate studies at the Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, we have so much to share about…
Is Home Where the Heart Is? Expats Reflect Through Photography
As Americans living abroad, defining “home” is complicated. In everyday conversation, we use “home” to refer to our apartment here in Reims, but “home” has also been in Troyes during our time with the Teaching Assistant Program in France (TAPIF),…