University of Angers
Notary office in Angers
I choose to do my first week of work experience in the University of Angers, in the faculty of culture and tourism, to experience what it is like being a university student, and also a university teacher. In addition I got the chance to go to France, to also practice my French. I personally love France and want to discover what life is like living in Angers in France, and what French Universities are like! I really look forward to doing my work placement with my aunt Anne as a university teacher and lecturer.
Anne’s husband, Aurelien, is a Notary. I have been given the opportunity to do one day of work experience with him too! In Ireland we don’t have notaries, they are however very common in the rest of Europe. As far as I know their job is to create documents such as wills, divorce papers, papers when one sells or buys a house etc. negotiate these documents and sign these documents with clients. I am very curious to find out what it’s like being a notary in France!
Anne’s husband, Aurelien, is a Notary. I have been given the opportunity to do one day of work experience with him too! In Ireland we don’t have notaries, they are however very common in the rest of Europe. As far as I know their job is to create documents such as wills, divorce papers, papers when one sells or buys a house etc. negotiate these documents and sign these documents with clients. I am very curious to find out what it’s like being a notary in France!
The flag of Angers, and the French flag!
Day 1: Sunday 4th December
Saturday afternoon my granny from Tipperary came to our home in Delgany, as she was going to fly with me to France the next day. Saturday evening we all went out the the Hungry Monk in Greystones for a family dinner, it was really lovely! Sunday morning my granny and I stacked our bags in the boot of the car, and my dad drove is to the airport. I had absolutely no idea what to expect once the plane landed in France! Also I was honestly feeling a little worried as I had never taken a plane without one of my parents from Dublin airport. Also my granny doesn’t exactly fly very often so I had to make sure we got to the plane on time, and checked in our suitcases at the right place.
Despite my worries, all went well the plane left Irish soil at 13.30pm on Sunday the 4th of December! A short 1 hour and a half later we landed in Nantes, France. There I immediately spotted my aunt and uncle waiting for us (it's a very small airport!). I was so surprised as I hadn’t seen my aunt since March this year, and in the meantime she had gotten pregnant! So she has a very big baby bump, as she is due in February. The rest of Sunday was mainly settling in my aunt Anne and her husband Aurelien’s apartment, having dinner and watching an episode of The Crown!
Saturday afternoon my granny from Tipperary came to our home in Delgany, as she was going to fly with me to France the next day. Saturday evening we all went out the the Hungry Monk in Greystones for a family dinner, it was really lovely! Sunday morning my granny and I stacked our bags in the boot of the car, and my dad drove is to the airport. I had absolutely no idea what to expect once the plane landed in France! Also I was honestly feeling a little worried as I had never taken a plane without one of my parents from Dublin airport. Also my granny doesn’t exactly fly very often so I had to make sure we got to the plane on time, and checked in our suitcases at the right place.
Despite my worries, all went well the plane left Irish soil at 13.30pm on Sunday the 4th of December! A short 1 hour and a half later we landed in Nantes, France. There I immediately spotted my aunt and uncle waiting for us (it's a very small airport!). I was so surprised as I hadn’t seen my aunt since March this year, and in the meantime she had gotten pregnant! So she has a very big baby bump, as she is due in February. The rest of Sunday was mainly settling in my aunt Anne and her husband Aurelien’s apartment, having dinner and watching an episode of The Crown!
Dublin airport
to
Nantes airport
to
Nantes airport
Day 2: Monday 5th of December
First of all, let me mention that today is Sinterklaas, or also known as Saint Nicolaas, in the Netherlands! If I was at home I would have put my shoes by the chimney and then tomorrow morning my shoes would be filled with sweets!
Anyways, here in France I had a very busy day. I woke up at 6AM as I was starting my work experience at the University of Angers at 8AM, and my aunt likes to walk to work. It was quite fun, walking through the town of Angers at 7AM in the darkness, and barely any people around.
We were one of the first in the building. It felt so strange walking into the teachers’ office, with the university teachers staring at me as I walked in. Anne introduced me in French to the teachers, and they all kindly greeted me. I was smiling but inside my heart was beating fast! Next I followed Anne to her first class. These students were doing a Masters in different areas surrounding culture and tourism. Some were doing a masters in fashion, others in international culture, some in tourism and hospitality etc. I felt so self-conscious and shy as I walked into the classroom full of French 20 year olds! Also I had to sit at the front of the class, next to Anne in full view! However as the class began I started to feel a bit more relaxed and comfortable. Anne asked me to prepare a presentation on myself and life in Ireland, Belgium and Holland. So a few minutes into the first class, I stood up in front of the students and did my powerpoint presentation.
To view my presentation click here
First of all, let me mention that today is Sinterklaas, or also known as Saint Nicolaas, in the Netherlands! If I was at home I would have put my shoes by the chimney and then tomorrow morning my shoes would be filled with sweets!
Anyways, here in France I had a very busy day. I woke up at 6AM as I was starting my work experience at the University of Angers at 8AM, and my aunt likes to walk to work. It was quite fun, walking through the town of Angers at 7AM in the darkness, and barely any people around.
We were one of the first in the building. It felt so strange walking into the teachers’ office, with the university teachers staring at me as I walked in. Anne introduced me in French to the teachers, and they all kindly greeted me. I was smiling but inside my heart was beating fast! Next I followed Anne to her first class. These students were doing a Masters in different areas surrounding culture and tourism. Some were doing a masters in fashion, others in international culture, some in tourism and hospitality etc. I felt so self-conscious and shy as I walked into the classroom full of French 20 year olds! Also I had to sit at the front of the class, next to Anne in full view! However as the class began I started to feel a bit more relaxed and comfortable. Anne asked me to prepare a presentation on myself and life in Ireland, Belgium and Holland. So a few minutes into the first class, I stood up in front of the students and did my powerpoint presentation.
To view my presentation click here
It was a lot easier than I thought it would be, as the students were very nice! I really enjoyed presenting myself and talking about my school in Ireland and my school in Belgium. I showed a video of St Gerard’s school and they were all very impressed! After I did my presentation they asked me loads of questions like: Do you feel more Irish or Dutch? Was it difficult to move from Belgium to Ireland? What do you want to do as a future career? I answered the questions as best I could, and in turn I asked them some questions too. Over the course of the day I followed Anne to another 4 classes (each class is 1 hour 20 minutes) and presented my powerpoint presentation in each class! In the last class there was a mix of students from many nationalities, as they were doing an Erasmus Year. There were many Chinese as well as Spanish pupils. There was also a girl from The Netherlands, and as it’s the 5th of December, I talked with her about Sinterklaas!
Notably I was exhausted by the end of the day. It was incredibly interesting to understand how university works and it was lovely meeting the students! When we arrived home, I quickly notated everything that had happened today as I would forget the details otherwise. I was quite overwhelmed that only the next day did I fully appreciate my experiences.
Day 3: Tuesday 6th of December
Today I was allowed to sleep in, as Anne didn’t have classes in the morning! So we went for a walk into the town, which was beautifully decorated with Christmas lights and decorations. Each shop had a Christmas tree outside their shop, and the whole town looked wonderful and festive! In the main square called ‘Place Ralliement’ there was a big Christmas market for the whole month of December. There was little chalets scattered around the square and the surrounding streets selling all types of gifts and food! My granny, aunt and I spent the morning exploring the markets and buying Christmas presents for friends and family. I also couldn’t resist getting a nutella crêpe with a chocolat chaud!
Today I was allowed to sleep in, as Anne didn’t have classes in the morning! So we went for a walk into the town, which was beautifully decorated with Christmas lights and decorations. Each shop had a Christmas tree outside their shop, and the whole town looked wonderful and festive! In the main square called ‘Place Ralliement’ there was a big Christmas market for the whole month of December. There was little chalets scattered around the square and the surrounding streets selling all types of gifts and food! My granny, aunt and I spent the morning exploring the markets and buying Christmas presents for friends and family. I also couldn’t resist getting a nutella crêpe with a chocolat chaud!
Then the afternoon we walked to the university as Anne has her first year students Tuesday afternoons, who have only just started University and are barely 19 years old. I sat at the front of the class and watched Anne teach, I also observed the students. I really got a feel of what teaching in a University is like! Today they were learning about stereotypes and about different food in different cultures, I must say University seems like a lot of fun to me! Each class in 1 hour and 20 minutes, which I find quite long. I prefer shorter classes, like in secondary school, as then it is easier to concentrate and the students work more productively.
After the class I got a full guided tour around the university campus, as yesterday we didn’t have any time. It is an amazing university and very modern. I visited many classrooms and offices (also got a glimpse of the Head Master’s office as he wasn’t in that day!). Then my aunt showed me the canteen (they call it the restaurant) which is massive, as its a big university! Next I was brought to the library which was quite spectacular. It is very big and spacious with many levels, each level with a different theme of books. The library was filled with students studying and creating projects, or simply reading a novel. However I noticed outside the library and restaurant, many of the students stood smoking. In France smoking is very popular amongst the students and people in general, compared to Ireland.
Day 3: Wednesday 7th December
This morning we walked at a steady pace through the streets of Angers to the University. The streets were practically empty as it was around 7 in the morning, so most of the town was still asleep! Today the students had an oral exam. Instead of it being just an ordinary oral exam, they were doing debates in teams of 4 or 5! It was marvelously entertaining to watch the students debate (in English) about various topics! Some had even brought costumes for their debate! My aunt teaches two 3rd year classes English, and they both had their oral exam today.
I sat in the back of the classroom with my aunt. My job was to listen to the content of the debates, and my aunt would focus on their pronunciation and grammar. It was a great experience learning how to grade students and listening to them speak with concentration instead of just for entertainment. The debates varied a lot; the first group were debating whether or not there should be a Centre Park built in Angers. Two students were farmers and were against the motion, one student was the mayor of Angers and two students were for the motion.
This morning we walked at a steady pace through the streets of Angers to the University. The streets were practically empty as it was around 7 in the morning, so most of the town was still asleep! Today the students had an oral exam. Instead of it being just an ordinary oral exam, they were doing debates in teams of 4 or 5! It was marvelously entertaining to watch the students debate (in English) about various topics! Some had even brought costumes for their debate! My aunt teaches two 3rd year classes English, and they both had their oral exam today.
I sat in the back of the classroom with my aunt. My job was to listen to the content of the debates, and my aunt would focus on their pronunciation and grammar. It was a great experience learning how to grade students and listening to them speak with concentration instead of just for entertainment. The debates varied a lot; the first group were debating whether or not there should be a Centre Park built in Angers. Two students were farmers and were against the motion, one student was the mayor of Angers and two students were for the motion.
Another debate was for or against plastic surgery. One student was dressed as a nun and was against the motion, another was pretending to be a hollywood actress and was for plastic surgery. The third member of the team was a presenter from a show, and was interviewing them. After each debate, Anne and I discussed the debate and the level of the students’ english. Once the classes were done, I helped Anne decide on the grades for the students! I tended to suggest higher grades than the students got in the end. It was difficult to grade them, as you’re not supposed to compare them to other students but solely listen to their level of English.
The debates were very exciting and enjoyable! It was also great fun, helping to grade the students!
The debates were very exciting and enjoyable! It was also great fun, helping to grade the students!
Day 4: Thursday 8th December
Today was quite different to the other days of work experience. My aunt’s husband, called Aurelien, is a Notaire in Angers. As far as I know notaries do not exist in Ireland. Their job is to help with the signing and negotiating of wills, divorce papers, the buying and selling of houses and a few more things.
I got the opportunity to spend the afternoon in his office. I couldn’t come in the morning as he had a meeting with clients about buying a house, and these meetings are strictly confidential so I would not be allowed to be present at them. I arrived at noon at the office. Firstly I got a tour around the office, I was introduced to all the people working in the office. They were all very friendly! Then I was shown the archives.
A very important aspect of a Notaire’s job is to keep a record of all the documents they have. For example if someone was going to create a will, the Notaire would need a copy of their birth certificate to prove that the person actually exists. This birth certificate would have to be safely put away in an archive for future reference. They had documents dating back to the 19th century!
Then I sat in Aurelien's office and he explained to me all about his job. I also had a few questioned prepared which I then asked him. It was a little more challenging than the other days as it was all in French. As my aunt teaches her classes in English I speak English most of the day, but her husband is French and obviously works in French! So it was good practice for my French, as it takes a bit of effort to speak about legal issues and how wills are created in French.
Today was quite different to the other days of work experience. My aunt’s husband, called Aurelien, is a Notaire in Angers. As far as I know notaries do not exist in Ireland. Their job is to help with the signing and negotiating of wills, divorce papers, the buying and selling of houses and a few more things.
I got the opportunity to spend the afternoon in his office. I couldn’t come in the morning as he had a meeting with clients about buying a house, and these meetings are strictly confidential so I would not be allowed to be present at them. I arrived at noon at the office. Firstly I got a tour around the office, I was introduced to all the people working in the office. They were all very friendly! Then I was shown the archives.
A very important aspect of a Notaire’s job is to keep a record of all the documents they have. For example if someone was going to create a will, the Notaire would need a copy of their birth certificate to prove that the person actually exists. This birth certificate would have to be safely put away in an archive for future reference. They had documents dating back to the 19th century!
Then I sat in Aurelien's office and he explained to me all about his job. I also had a few questioned prepared which I then asked him. It was a little more challenging than the other days as it was all in French. As my aunt teaches her classes in English I speak English most of the day, but her husband is French and obviously works in French! So it was good practice for my French, as it takes a bit of effort to speak about legal issues and how wills are created in French.
After I fully understood the function and work of a Notaire I had to do a few little jobs. I was asked to translate a legal document from French to English for an American client. There was no open wifi so I couldn’t use google translate! It was fun but challenging as there was some vocabulary only used in law that I had not yet learnt in French. Once I had completed that task, the day was almost done. The last hour I did some filing, photocopying and watched Aurelien make phone calls and do his job!
It was an interesting and eye-opening experience as I went into the office knowing near to nothing about being a Notaire, and I left the office with a good understanding of the job. It seems quite an interesting and challenging job! However in France the number of Notaires in the country is limited, so it is quite a difficult career to get into.
Day 5: Friday 9th of December
Today was filled with many memorable experiences. Firstly in the morning I walked into town on my own, only a 10 minute walk. I had organised to meet up with a French friend who also lives in Angers. Since her English teacher was not in today, she had a free hour and including her lunch break she had almost 3 hours free. In France the school are very laid back and the students are very independant. Therefore Thea was able to meet up with me in the morning! I was really looking forward to meeting up with her again, but also slightly nervous that my French wouldn’t be good enough.
We met up at 10AM at Place Ralliement and went to a hot chocolate in the trendiest cafe in Angers! We had a wonderful conversation about school and hobbies, holidays and Christmas. I surprised her and myself with my French, it just seemed to come out without thinking, like it all just came back to me! Afterwards she brought me to her school, which was a short walk from town. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I certainly didn’t expect what I saw. Her school was impressive, it looked like a big monastery from the outside! I followed her inside and she introduced me to many of her friends, who were very friendly.
Today was filled with many memorable experiences. Firstly in the morning I walked into town on my own, only a 10 minute walk. I had organised to meet up with a French friend who also lives in Angers. Since her English teacher was not in today, she had a free hour and including her lunch break she had almost 3 hours free. In France the school are very laid back and the students are very independant. Therefore Thea was able to meet up with me in the morning! I was really looking forward to meeting up with her again, but also slightly nervous that my French wouldn’t be good enough.
We met up at 10AM at Place Ralliement and went to a hot chocolate in the trendiest cafe in Angers! We had a wonderful conversation about school and hobbies, holidays and Christmas. I surprised her and myself with my French, it just seemed to come out without thinking, like it all just came back to me! Afterwards she brought me to her school, which was a short walk from town. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I certainly didn’t expect what I saw. Her school was impressive, it looked like a big monastery from the outside! I followed her inside and she introduced me to many of her friends, who were very friendly.
Hot chocolate and Thea's school!
The next thing I did today was go to a French retirement home, which used to be a convent a few years ago. The place was called ‘La Madeleine’ and was hundreds of years old. My granny, aunt and I made a visit to this place because about 100 years ago my garnny’s aunt was nun in this convent! It's a strange coincidence as, out of all places in France my aunt lives in Angers, where her great aunt lived 100 years ago. We only discovered this fact after my aunt had been living in Angers for 3 years.
We organised to meet with a nun in this ‘former’ convent so my granny could get a tour of the place where her aunt used to go 100 years ago. The building hasn't changed much in the meantime. It was a wonderful feeling being in the presence of history, my granny was so happy to be here too! We received a full history and tour of the building and gardens surrounding it. I felt very sorry for the elderly people in the retirement home, they all looked a but lonely and sad but they looked happy to see us. It was quite remarkable that four generations of family were in the same convent in Angers; first my great great aunt, then my granny, my aunt and I (also my aunt is pregnant so almost 5 generations!)
We organised to meet with a nun in this ‘former’ convent so my granny could get a tour of the place where her aunt used to go 100 years ago. The building hasn't changed much in the meantime. It was a wonderful feeling being in the presence of history, my granny was so happy to be here too! We received a full history and tour of the building and gardens surrounding it. I felt very sorry for the elderly people in the retirement home, they all looked a but lonely and sad but they looked happy to see us. It was quite remarkable that four generations of family were in the same convent in Angers; first my great great aunt, then my granny, my aunt and I (also my aunt is pregnant so almost 5 generations!)
We ended up staying a bit longer than intended as the nun offered us juice and cookies. This resulted in us being late for our next appointment with an Irish nun from Kerry living in Angers. We sprinted to the convent on the other side of town. Here we were greeted by a lovely nun in an impressive building.
Firstly we were shown an exhibition of cribs from all over the world. There was nativity scenes from many countries such as Japan, Ireland, Brazil and Kenya. It was amazing to see the similarities and differences between the cribs, although they were all telling the same story. We were then offered tea and cakes and talked for a while with the nun, who has become friends with Anne over the last few years as they are both Irish and it's nice to meet a person from your own country when you’re living abroad.
Me standing next to a crib from The Netherlands, and a crib from Ireland!
The evening we had a delicious dinner in a cosy French restaurant called ‘La Cantina’!
The evening we had a delicious dinner in a cosy French restaurant called ‘La Cantina’!
To conclude, my week of work experience in France was a brilliant experience and lots of fun! I got the chance to get an insight on how university is, and what it is like to be a university lecturer. I was also lucky to be able to spend the day in a notary office and learn more about this career. In addition I was able to follow the steps of my great great aunt who lived in Anger in the 1920s as a nun, which was a wonderful experience! I will cherish this experience for the rest of my life!