IN the United States, high school graduates undergo a rigid college entrance exam before being admitted. If one opts to take four academic semesters in a community college, then he or she has better chances to be admitted in a regular college even though his college essay is not impressive. It is in the mind of the college admissions staff that a community college graduate already has the basic technical skills of a particular program that the student chooses.

In France, high school students must undertake a very long comprehensive exam before they can be admitted to college. This exam is called the baccalaureate. But not all exams are to be undertaken by the students. The students choose only exam subjects that are relevant to the bachelor’s degree that he intends to accomplish after graduating from regular college. If the student is intending to pursue a degree in the sciences, then he will take the exams for such fields as mathematics, physics, chemistry, earth and life sciences, engineering sciences, biology and ecology. For those intending to take a degree in the social sciences, the graduating high school student must excel in French language, economics, social sciences, first foreign language, second foreign language, philosophy, regional language, Latin and ancient Greek.

You may be wondering why studying a foreign language is essential in France. Actually, it’s just not in France where it is compulsory. It is mandated to be taught to students all over Europe. It’s because the European Union has determined that learning a second language bodes well for the overall economic, political and social development of the continent. United as they are in currency and as an institution unlike the rest of the world, the European Union’s vulnerability lies in its divisive language barriers. The peculiar Babel-like situation in Europe has led to their higher ups declaring the learning of a second language to its younger generation.

This is mandated so as for people all over the continent to immediately close transnational transactions easily. French students can choose whether to learn German (their favorite choice actually as its grammar is closer to French than the rest of the European languages), British English, Scottish English, Irish English, the native Irish language, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Greek or even Turkish and Moroccan as well as the Eastern European languages and even Russian. Turkey, Morocco and Russia are not members of the European Union but their cultures are pervasive in the European mainland because of their proximity there. For those intending to achieve literature and education degrees in college, the exams they will take are focused on the French language. All of the students must likewise take the exams for electives such as arts and physical education.

When one goes to college in France, the tuition there is very minimal. But never underestimate French education because one can never enter college unless he or she has passed the baccalaureate strictly. One can already pass eight semesters of college by paying only 3,500 euros in pure tuition. Those don’t include the miscellaneous fees of course like laboratory fees and dormitory boarding, utilities and meals expenses.