Each student designs an individualized program of studies that meets his or her academic requirements and promotes his or her intellectual growth and curiosity. Students choose among courses at French institutions of higher education and a small number of in-house courses, organized especially for the HCJYF students and taught by native French speakers, and in which all coursework is completed in French.
The Resident Director is the main advisor. A full time faculty member of the French department at Hamilton, the Resident Director works closely with HCJYF participants' home institutions. Advising for HCJYF students starts well before departure and continues during the orientation and throughout the year. Students plan a program that suits their academic major, their professional goals and their sense of adventure. Advising is not only about choosing courses; it also helps students develop a better understanding of the French university system and methods, which differ greatly from those in the United States.
The educational system in France is, for example, highly centralized, and French students attend lectures and often take copious notes during their classes. Another difference with the system in the United States is that course schedules for Paris universities are often not determined before September, and instructors do not always provide detailed syllabi. Work loads may differ too as French students are not required to do homework on a daily basis.
The HCJYF Resident Director is the prime intermediary between the Paris institutions and our students. He or she makes every effort to provide information as soon as it is available, and works with each student to finalize his or her program of studies as early as possible. Students prepare a tentative course selection (six to eight courses) in the spring before departure on the basis of course lists available from preceding years. Students who anticipate needing courses in institutions with which Hamilton does not have a formal affiliation or in fields not covered below should notify the director as early as possible.
See description of courses that may be available to students, including HCJYF courses, Consortium courses, selected courses; courses at institutions with which Hamilton is formally affiliated; specialized courses, and a list of courses former HCJYF students have selected during the past few years. These lists should help prospective students appreciate the breadth of the HCJYF offerings.
Please see important academic regulations (course load, attendance, drop/add and withdrawal deadlines, examinations, transfer of credits, etc.).
