Reading

B1 French reading: back to university after twenty years

A 45-year-old nurse goes back to university to study psychology. A B1 profile with glosses: her past motivations, today's difficulties and her hopes.

In short

A B1 profile mixing past, present and future. Sandrine returns to university at 45. Separate what motivated her in the past, what is hard now and what she hopes for.

Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn

A mature student carrying books into a university courtyard.
Returning to la fac opens a new chapter. Illustration: Atelier

Retour sur les bancs de la fac

Sandrine, quarante-cinq ans, est infirmière depuis vingt ans. En septembre dernier, elle a décidé de reprendre ses études1 à la fac2 : une licence de psychologie à l'université de Nantes.

« À dix-huit ans, je voulais faire de la psychologie, mais mes parents préféraient un métier sûr. J'ai toujours eu un regret3 », explique-t-elle. En travaillant à l'hôpital, elle a remarqué que les patients avaient souvent plus besoin de parler que d'être soignés.

Aujourd'hui, elle suit la plupart de ses cours à distance4 et va à l'université un jour par semaine. Le plus difficile, c'est de concilier5 travail, famille et études. « Pendant les partiels6, je dors cinq heures par nuit. Et parfois, j'ai l'impression7 que les plus jeunes me regardent bizarrement ! »

Dans trois ans, elle espère réussir sa reconversion8 et travailler comme psychologue à l'hôpital. « Il n'est jamais trop tard. J'apprends plus qu'à vingt ans. »

Read it in English

Sandrine, 45, has been a nurse for twenty years. Last September, she decided to go back to university to study psychology.

"At eighteen, I wanted to study psychology, but my parents preferred a secure job. I've always had a regret," she explains. Working in hospitals, she noticed that patients often needed to talk more than to be treated.

Today, she follows most of her classes online and goes to the university one day a week. The hardest part is combining work, family and studies. "During the exams, I sleep five hours a night. And sometimes I feel the youngest students look at me strangely!"

In three years, she hopes to complete a career change and work as a psychologist in a hospital. "It's never too late. I'm learning more than when I was twenty."

Past, present, future
TimeWhat we learn
Pastwanted to study psychology; parents preferred a secure job; noticed patients' need to talk
Presentclasses online plus one day a week; hard to combine work, family and studies
Futurebecome a hospital psychologist in three years

La fac is the everyday word for university (la faculté). Reprendre ses études is to go back to studying, and une reconversion professionnelle a career change, a very common phrase in France, where adults can use a training account (le CPF) to fund courses.

Question 1No account needed
Why didn't Sandrine study psychology at 18?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Her parents preferred a secure job.. Mes parents préféraient un métier sûr.

Question 2No account needed
What is hardest for her now?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

combining work, family and studies. Concilier travail, famille et études.

Question 3No account needed
What does Il n'est jamais trop tard show about her attitude?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

She's optimistic and determined.. Her conclusion shows determination.