Before university, I was just a high school student . Curious, maybe a little naive. Then came college and everything changed.

Context: in France you can study at a “French Grand Ecole”, where you do a master’s degree in 5 years:

2 years of “prépa CPGE” or “prépa intégrée” : 2 years where you study broad STEM courses, to make you choose which major you want to pursue after the 2 years
3 years engineering in a chosen major (CS for me)

Prepa is known to be study hard 247 to be in the top 1% and get a good university.

That’s why I’m a bit surprised with how much activities I could start during these 2 years in “prépa intégrée”:

Semester 1 – The Adjustment Phase:

I was thrown into the faster pace of college life. And it hit hard.

Living on my own. Away from my parents. It helped me become a lot more independent.

No weekly tests as in high school. Only one midterm and final exam to pass.

Joined Genius UTT, our student entrepreneurship club, and somehow became the podcast host with another friend (8 episodes published).
Tried rock dancing. Surprisingly fun.
Failed one of my subject. Learned that failure isn’t the end, just a new starting point.

Semester 2 – Steady Progress

By semester two, I wasn’t surprised by college anymore. I was finding my rhythm.

I was adapting to my new life in college.

This was the turning point. My classes leveled up, my routines clicked, and I stepped into something bigger than myself.

I learned Object-Oriented Programming with Java. Real coding and a fun project this time.
Picked up running again, 2 times a week, no excuses.
And the biggest shift: I joined Néréides, in the embedded systems team.
We’re building a fully functional boat to compete at the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge 2025.
Yes. An actual boat. From scratch.

It’s the semester where I learnt the most academically and technically.

Right after I finished my exams, I did a Europe Tour with my friends. It was my first time going on a trip without my family.

Best thing I ever did. Lots of side quests and dad lore to share.

My favorite semester so far. I studied abroad in Shanghai. And it changed everything:

I started creating content in English on Instagram. (Stopped for a while because I lost my momentum but now I’m back!)
Tried piano. Following K-pop dance tutorials. Ultimate frisbee. Hobbies maxxing.
Volunteered for tech events across the city and helped friends with their Lion dance performance.
Met more internet friends IRL than ever
Traveled a whole month solo across 4 countries in Asia. I recommend solo trips like this if you want to see what it feels to be in control of your life.

This semester in Shanghai opened me up in ways I never imagined.

Two years. Four semesters.

From failing my first subject… to building a boat… to doing Lion Dance in Shanghai.

No wonder I barely recognize who I am.

Question of the week:

❝

What have you done in the past 2 years that you’re proud of?

Until next week,

Rémy