Hey,
It’s Rémy.
After my China Arc last semester, I’m now back in France to start my 3rd year of uni. And the semester kicked off with a challenge I couldn’t resist:
Try every sport for free in one week.
Here’s how it went:
Monday: workout + Capoeira
Tuesday: workout + Boxing
Wednesday: workout + Ultimate Frisbee
Thursday: workout + Swimming (2km)
Friday: workout + Capoeira
Total: approximately 13 hours of physical activity
By Friday, my body tapped out. I ended sick on the week-end.
But honestly, I don’t regret a second.
Why? Because opportunities like this don’t come often. Especially with niche sports like Capoeira. Thanks to the uni discount, I can keep doing them all semester for a cheap price. Saving hundreds of euros in the process.
And that’s when it hit me: we often criticize college for not teaching us “real-world” skills (I agree). But it also gives us access to things we can’t easily find elsewhere:
Student clubs where technical projects land real internships (a friend got an internship at a YC startup after building a hydrogen-fueled boat).
A massive variety of sports for cheap.
Research projects with professors.
Exchange semesters to discover new cultures and open your mind.
Internships built into the program.
fab labs
I’m also less active on X right now, partly because I’m focused on these opportunities. That does create some FOMO, since people are leveling up fast online. But I don’t want to regret this part of my life.
I feel like spending time off social media helped me be more mindful of how I allocate my time.
For example, instead of comparing myself to others on social media, I focus on myself and aim to develop the body of an athlete and the mind of a polyglot by learning Chinese and German.
So my mindset is: this is my “French college arc.” I’m living it fully while I can.
TL;DR: Tried every sport in one week, got sick, but was worth it. What a time to be alive.
Question of the week:
How was your week?
Until next week,
Rémy
