Discussion: France Engineering 2011

[weiliang]

Originally Posted by MrHoww

According to the current situation of the society, your result is not the most important, but your money plays a significant role in aiding you enrolling in renowned universities. For the lucky ones, of course with satisfactory results, scholarship is the only way to help them going internationally and to acquire an overseas degree. So, for a poor or rather moderate income family, what is their choice considering that MOST of the students prefer studying overseas for exposure and experience, we have to accept any condition offered by the government or non-government organisations if they willingly granted us the scholarship. There is no free lunch in this world.

yeah, for poor/moderate income family, sometimes we dont have choice to pursue what we dreamt of, its more like whats the best choice left for us..

[SarahC]

If I was richer, I think I'm already studying instead of waiting for scholarship :'(

[AlternateF4]

Originally Posted by SarahC

If I was richer, I think I'm already studying instead of waiting for scholarship :'(

Yea me too

[bush]

Originally Posted by MrHoww

But according to what I know, if scholarship is granted. There will be no need for you to go out from your campus and seeking for a part-time job. So you may concentrate on your studies because it is NOT easy for you to enroll and maintain your satisfactory performance in Classe Preparatoire aux Grande Ecole under SFERE Program , it is considered stressful in the education of France. However, for a scholar filtered from piles of applicants would take advantage because they are the elites among the others.

If you are completely reluctant to work for the organisation granted you the sponsorship, you could repay the debt as you work in French/German speaking countries, the potential is unlimited, no doubt, as far as human can go, so can you. As you earn Euros, I don't think it is a problem for you to clear the debts. For the future 10 years, the debts would probably been cleared and you are free to start your own life in Europe. I guess 33 is not considered as too 'matured' in order to pursue the things you really wanted.

En conclure, a hard life ahead yeah...

Whether it's difficult or not, it's relative. I for one being of this generation will of course complain about it. But our parents generation would definitely have worked and studied at the same time. Further, it's not a full time job. If you can take 2 afternoons off to work, the expenses will be pretty much covered.

Secondly, despite what people might say, I can tell you that our education system prepared us well to handle huge amounts of work. In terms of workload, our Malaysian system beats any western system by any measure. So I don't buy the argument that classe preparatoire is the hardest thing on the planet. It's only as stressful and hard if you make it to be.

Again, it's about calculating and planning for the future. The terms 'poor' and 'modest' are relative. A family of 4 with a household income of RM5k can be considered poor in KL but if it's in Muar, I think it's middle class. With that said, it's possible to study in France, Germany Finland, maybe Sweden if there is proper financial planning.

The point here is not just say, I'm poor and that's it. Because people who say so and do not get a scholarship end up going to IPTS or UTAR while spending a fortune which they do not 'supposedly' have. If one actually do some research, one could have gone overseas with that same amount of money. The point here is to do research for your own education.

Originally Posted by AlternateF4

I think the living cost in France isn't as cheap as you guys think. I have asked my French teacher, and she said she can only barely live by with 1000 euro per month especially in urban areas, and told me not to think that it's a lot of money. I also heard of ppl saying, go get a part time job there to earn a living. As easy as it is said, it's not at all. Basically, it's hard to even get a job there (around 10+ percent of French are unemployed), especially for Asians.

Are you living in France? Well, tell you what? I am.

As I said, if you are not living in Paris, it can become really affordable. I know for a fact that one can get by with just 400 euros per month, rent inclusive. I have 3 friends with that budget. For example, one friend pay 150 per month for rent and 250 for groceries. Another pays like 130 per month inclusive(internet ,water, heat etc), rents a room from the landlord.Of course, if you want to live in a studio with your own balcony then be prepared to pay 700 to 800 euros. Regardless, the point here is that it's possible to get by. It depends on one's spending habits. If one eats out everyday then too bad, you need more than 1k euros.

I could have gotten a job if my french was better. French unemployment rate has been steady around 10% for 20 years. So unless france has been in a perpetual recession, this figure is normal. It doesn't reflect the difficulties of finding student work.

[AlternateF4]

Thanks bush, gave loads of info :O

[MrHoww]

Originally Posted by bush

Whether it's difficult or not, it's relative. I for one being of this generation will of course complain about it. But our parents generation would definitely have worked and studied at the same time. Further, it's not a full time job. If you can take 2 afternoons off to work, the expenses will be pretty much covered.

Secondly, despite what people might say, I can tell you that our education system prepared us well to handle huge amounts of work. In terms of workload, our Malaysian system beats any western system by any measure. So I don't buy the argument that classe preparatoire is the hardest thing on the planet. It's only as stressful and hard if you make it to be.

Again, it's about calculating and planning for the future. The terms 'poor' and 'modest' are relative. A family of 4 with a household income of RM5k can be considered poor in KL but if it's in Muar, I think it's middle class. With that said, it's possible to study in France, Germany Finland, maybe Sweden if there is proper financial planning.

The point here is not just say, I'm poor and that's it. Because people who say so and do not get a scholarship end up going to IPTS or UTAR while spending a fortune which they do not 'supposedly' have. If one actually do some research, one could have gone overseas with that same amount of money. The point here is to do research for your own education.



Are you living in France? Well, tell you what? I am.

As I said, if you are not living in Paris, it can become really affordable. I know for a fact that one can get by with just 400 euros per month, rent inclusive. I have 3 friends with that budget. For example, one friend pay 150 per month for rent and 250 for groceries. Another pays like 130 per month inclusive(internet ,water, heat etc), rents a room from the landlord.Of course, if you want to live in a studio with your own balcony then be prepared to pay 700 to 800 euros. Regardless, the point here is that it's possible to get by. It depends on one's spending habits. If one eats out everyday then too bad, you need more than 1k euros.

I could have gotten a job if my french was better. French unemployment rate has been steady around 10% for 20 years. So unless france has been in a perpetual recession, this figure is normal. It doesn't reflect the difficulties of finding student work.

Oh wow, but since I applied for scholarships, I'll wait for their responses. If I really can't get any of them, I'm willing to enter UTAR as the first priority is to obtain the first degree. At the meantime, I will work out on my French in language learning centres as I really don't want to waste my basic French language just like a plastic bottle, instead I will make it as a decorative item in my resume or CV. Then only I will choose my path for Master Degree either locally or overseas . I really wanted to leave Kuantan because the Rare Earth Processing Plant will be completed soon and starts its operation by September...

Well, I work for part-time too with my parents in their restaurant, when weekends came, the people keep rushing in like... I don't know how to describe, but it was really crowded. Imagine that you're standing at the front gate of my parents' restaurant and my mother instructed you to take something at the back, like vegetables. While you are walking, the customers packed the restaurant will keep telling you to add rice add that add these, then why the food like that, what else available, take this order that, pay bill and need receipt some more, sometimes those obnoxious ones will keep asking you rice how much, this one how much that one how much these how much and calculate using their phones, even slightest mistakes like 10 cents will make them pissed off... I was like =.= OMG... So I really don't want to study and work in these environments anymore, it's making crazy!!!!!

Oh by the way, I didn't say Classe Preparatoire is hardest thing in the planet, I just said that 'it is considered stressful in education system of France'.

Originally Posted by AlternateF4

Yea me too

I won't even complete my secondary or primary education here. Instead, I'll go to USA already...

[scatcherer]

yea i agree with bush, most..not all malaysians like to think that going overseas is totally impossible unless u're from a freaking rich country. Some even gave all hope up and jus sit there and rely on scholarship and will never consider going overseas without a scholarship. Sometimes working and surviving with little money in a foreign land maybe kinda fun 2...plus it gives us life experience. Maybe it's about 'suffering' abit now and enjoy a high pay in france later =) And we all should not say that we are so poor....some do not even have a house, cannot buy uniform for school, cannot even have proper meals. If we can sit here comfortably typing our comments, completed our spm, hav proper meals everyday then we should be grateful. Sometimes its all about determination and whether if u REALLY wan to go overseas or u could settle with just a local education.

[MrHoww]

Originally Posted by scatcherer

yea i agree with bush, most..not all malaysians like to think that going overseas is totally impossible unless u're from a freaking rich country. Some even gave all hope up and jus sit there and rely on scholarship and will never consider going overseas without a scholarship. Sometimes working and surviving with little money in a foreign land maybe kinda fun 2...plus it gives us life experience. Maybe it's about 'suffering' abit now and enjoy a high pay in france later =) And we all should not say that we are so poor....some do not even have a house, cannot buy uniform for school, cannot even have proper meals. If we can sit here comfortably typing our comments, completed our spm, hav proper meals everyday then we should be grateful. Sometimes its all about determination and whether if u REALLY wan to go overseas or u could settle with just a local education.

C'est moi you are talking about.... It was really the real me, just relying completely on the scholarhsips, not considering going overseas by own effort.

[scatcherer]

o0? dont really get what u mean....anyway scholarship is quite a fun way ( get to be in the scholars network )and not to mention a worry-free way to go overseas....all the best everyone =)

[boonchi]

Originally Posted by SarahC

If I was richer, I think I'm already studying instead of waiting for scholarship :'(

agree .. but if i am rich, i will travel the whole world instead of studying