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Claire is a student in the class of 2026 and one of the fall 2021 recipients of the Social Media Scholarship. Below she reflects on her first year at the Sciences Po Campus of Reims.
I can’t believe the year is over. It felt like three months yet five lives. The first words that come to my mind as I try to lay down the unexplainable year would be grateful, dense and lively. That’s what it is; the Dual Degree of Sciences Po and UC Berkeley is a pint of life.
I have simultaneously been incredibly stimulated intellectually and acquired a capability to process and retain information that is honestly jaw dropping, while spending an immense amount of time engaged in campus life, constantly developing relationships with friends and professors—all whilst visiting Europe. How did I do it all? I’m not quite sure, but that's the environment you are nursed in. I am beyond impressed by my friends; some are starting their own cinema companies while others are beginning an additional philosophy degree next year (because being the star of theater plays and an anticipated speaker at all eloquence contests just isn't enough).
The Reims campus explodes of life and talent. But like all good things, there are challenging moments. Times where you feel overwhelmed, final seasons where you don’t see how you could possibly learn the LONG nineteenth European century, but you will (and you will kick at trivial for the rest of your life). College is where you figure out… well, a lot. That means scheduling school work and jobs during the week, organizing and maximizing your time, if you want to travel on the weekends. That means learning the wheels of administration. That means making mistakes at the grocery story and realizing that some deals are - indeed - too good to be true. But I loved that freedom, picking up on my friends’ habits, upgrading to their favorite type of cookie and learning to make sushi on a monday night. For this first year, I lived alone. I loved the independence of it, but thanks to the size of Reims, I had all my friends within a five minute walk radius. That being said, I am looking forward to live with my new ‘coloc’ (or roommate) next year. The majority of second year students opt for shared appartements during their second year, for the conviviality of it. Having glimpsed a peak of this through my ‘god-mother’ (a second year student who takes you under their shoulder and drags you in bed when you are on the verge of a breakdown), I am delighted by this new year ahead of me.
As I mentioned, I feel like I have lived five lives, yet I am only halfway through the first half of my dual degree (!!). And that’s precisely what I love so much about this program. The amount of opportunities you have, whether it be academic or outside of school, is incomparable. Because I was so inspired by my friends, and how they took upon their own projects, so did I. From March to May I organized and curated a film photography gallery. I reached out to some friends from school who loved film as well and organized a two day gallery to expose our work and create a fresh and bright atmosphere. I also began participating in public speaking competitions, which reminded me of my love for literature. These competitions gave me a time and place to focus on my writing. My work brought me to represent the Reims campus at the famous Prix Richard Descoing, an annual public speaking contest with all Sciences Po Paris campuses, in honor of a beloved former school director.
These events unearthed to me the importance of the arts. They reminded me, along with a class by Earlwyn Covington (which I absolutely LOVED!!), that political messages can be channeled through the arts, through culture and literature. Career wise, I am still unsure of where I am headed. I came in wanting to work in ‘hard’ politics, but I have been leaning more and more towards engaged writing. Regardless of my exact choice, I feel as though I have truly found my place in this dual degree. The poor folks who went on dates with me have had to hear me go on and on about my classes, both from this year and the ones I am excited for as an incoming Political Humanities major. Additionally, they had to suffer from my anticipation regarding Berkeley courses. And when I was not talking about classes, I was in between meetings and event-plannings for my clubs. But fear not, I still had time for coffee dates, and so will you.
Campus life is abundant. Any interest you could have will be satisfied and deepened. Next year I will be both in the executive of Amnesty International Reims as the head of logistics and the co-president of the cocktail making club, Le Mixe. So believe me when I tell you the world is your oyster. I enjoy how campus life both encapsulates clubs that serve others and those that allow you to experience your early twenties, cocktail making included. I am also grateful for the ‘parcours civic’ required in our Sciences Po diploma. This gives us the time to devote ourselves to a three year long project. My project is in regards to human rights, especially in terms of asylum applicants. This summer, I will be working with a lawyer on the Greek island of Lesvos to help asylum applicants in their procedure to seek refuge in the European Union. I think it is crucial for students to have field experience, as it teaches an array of skills that can be lacking in classrooms, and the ‘parcours civique’ directs our work towards those who need it most.
To sum up (because if you are still reading by here, there is probably nothing more I need to say to convince you that this dual degree is an incredible experience) let me give you some advice. Try out events, clubs, classes you thought weren’t for you. Do what feels right in terms of social outings, not what you believe you ‘should’ want. Do everything you can in advance, future you will be thankful. If something goes wrong: “you live and you learn.” And finally, surround yourself with people who make it feel easy to be loved.
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