Overall, Cranbrook school is nothing like La Tour in Paris. First of all, a slight detail that is a little troubling in the beginning; there are only boys in the school. It feels a little bit weird but you get used to it actually pretty quickly. Arriving in this school where I didn’t know anyone apart for my exchange partner was stressful but every teacher was very welcoming; they played an important role in my integration. The whole teacher-student relationship is very different; it is less formal than in France.
Another major difference is the size of the campus; the school is much bigger, there was a football field as well as many sports halls. However there is no cafeteria, you either bring your lunch, like most of the students do; or you buy something at the school. Once you have your lunch you can eat wherever you want throughout the campus; but no one leaves the school to have lunch outside.
Classes in general are also very different from everything we are used to in Paris, classrooms are much more casual, the walls are painted with bright colors and the furniture is very flexible and can be rearranged for various classes. Overall it has a very different feeling from what we are used to as it almost doesn’t feel like being at school. Secondly, school schedules are much lighter than the ones in France; furthermore students are encouraged to do sport activities when they finish class in the early afternoon. This is in addition to the many sports classes already part of the curriculum. I personally had the chance to participate in the 6:45am football training that was every Thursday, it was great. Once a week there was a yoga class that lasted for 30 minutes where you had to relax. Everything about the school seemed much more relaxed and casual than in France.
Lastly, I liked education in my Australian experience. The teachers try to enhance and develop as much they can the qualities of their students instead of bringing out the gaps some people can have. I am very happy with my experience in Cranbrook school and would highly recommend it to anyone who’s thinking about it.
-By Gautier H.
The Tower Times Blog 