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Suzanne Grosso Vidal's avatar

Sounds right. This is true with just about everything. Drivers license is another one (not as important as citizenship but something that needs to be done). I spent 5 years dealing with all of it and I wrote about it too. I feel that the french love nothing more than to belittle you and make you feel like you’ll never get there. They do it to kids in school too. I could go on for hours…

I’ll bet you get it. When you do, it’ll be time for steak frites and a little balon du rouge. Wait for it. It’s coming 😉

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Shelby Chambers's avatar

Thank you, Suzanne!

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Suzanne Grosso Vidal's avatar

Btw. You should read my story. It’s not too long. It might make you feel better. If nothing else, know that you’re not alone.

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Shelby Chambers's avatar

Thanks, I will!

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Betty Carlson's avatar

Oh no, Shelby, I feel terrible reading this! It sounds like you had terrible luck with the interviewer your were assigned to. Do you actually have the result yet? I remember sometimes my students took oral exams where they felt they had done terribly, the examiner barely spoke to them and/or was totally negative, and then they ended up with a good grade in the end. Please keep us posted!

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Shelby Chambers's avatar

Thank you, Betty. I still have no news at all or updates on the website, ten months later! I’ve heard that no news is good news so I’m just going with it. But that is also what many of my French friends say: a tough or negative interview doesn’t mean it was a fail.

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Judy MacMahon—Fondatrice's avatar

Staying positive with you, Shelby.

Judy

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Lorraine Tilbury's avatar

my heart breaks for you - it sounds like you faced the epitome of spiteful French bureaucracy. I'm so sorry and I hope you get another chance! I'm fortunate to be a French citizen via my French mom. However, I've lived through the upper tier French school system (French Vet school, reputed to be the toughest elite school to get in at the time, harder than Med School) so I could visualize what you were up against. Bon courage!! 🙏

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Shelby Chambers's avatar

Thank you!

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