I've seen this day coming for a while now and the entire class has pretty much been counting down to it since we came back from vacation 2 weeks ago, but even still I wasn't quite prepared for the end of classes today. Part of this denial is probably because if I acknowledge the end of classes, I will have to also acknowledge that my time here in France is quickly drawing to an end - something that is just too sad to even think about right now. The rest is just the knowledge that even still there are exams that will last until next Tuesday and between now and then there are still dozens of things left to do and to study.
I think I perhaps might have been had the actual end of the classes not have been so anticlimactic. In truth I don't know quite what I was expecting from the profs - surely no tearful goodbyes or testaments of how much we've all improved and grown over these past few months - but the almost clinical endings to the class definitely was far short of expectation.
I suppose it is only rational that IRFFLE classes should end this way. After all, half of us are going back to our respective countries where we will go on to tell stories in the past tense about our stay here while the other half will go on to look for jobs and positions in France and their stories, too, will be in the past tense.
The saddest part about all of this seemed to me the fact that this sort of ending doesn't bode well for any sort of lasting remembrance. I like to think that perhaps some memory of me will linger on here once I am gone but in truth this might not be very possible given the number of international students that pass through the Université of Nantes every year.
Still though every now and then perhaps Annick or Marion will say something or see something that makes them think about that one American student with unruly bangs who said stupid things. That would be enough for me.
I think I perhaps might have been had the actual end of the classes not have been so anticlimactic. In truth I don't know quite what I was expecting from the profs - surely no tearful goodbyes or testaments of how much we've all improved and grown over these past few months - but the almost clinical endings to the class definitely was far short of expectation.
I suppose it is only rational that IRFFLE classes should end this way. After all, half of us are going back to our respective countries where we will go on to tell stories in the past tense about our stay here while the other half will go on to look for jobs and positions in France and their stories, too, will be in the past tense.
The saddest part about all of this seemed to me the fact that this sort of ending doesn't bode well for any sort of lasting remembrance. I like to think that perhaps some memory of me will linger on here once I am gone but in truth this might not be very possible given the number of international students that pass through the Université of Nantes every year.
Still though every now and then perhaps Annick or Marion will say something or see something that makes them think about that one American student with unruly bangs who said stupid things. That would be enough for me.
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