From elementary school to CEGEP, I have always been in the French school system. French is my mother tongue, even though I am perfectly bilingual, I always felt better being in a French school. However, near the end of my DEC, I realized that I wanted to make the switch to English.
I had many reasons for changing to English. One of them was because of my dyslexia.
For some reason, I never struggled as much in English as I do in French regarding my dyslexia. I always thought it was easier to read and write in English. French is a challenging language to learn, especially once you get into Cegep. I was fortunate enough to go Cegep Gérald-Godin which was a wonderful school who valued literature and philosophy to a great extent. However, it was difficult.
Most of the time, people would have to retake classes at least once. If I compare those classes with my English classes, there is no denying that English was immensely easier for me.
Another reason why I decided to make the change was to see the difference between the French and English school systems. My parents both went to Cegep and University in English and loved it. Both of them said it was a fun culture to be a part of. So, naturally, I wanted to experience this for myself. In my personal experience thus far, I feel like the English culture is a lot more laid back than the French system. I feel like I can take my time to learn the material. In French school, I always felt rushed. My teachers were always focused on my weaknesses instead of helping me overcome them. In English it is the complete opposite. That is one of the most significant changes I’ve realized so far.
One last reason for this switch was because I felt a sense of belonging at Concordia. Both my parents went to Concordia and I grew up hearing about this school. I always pictured myself studying here, but I was not sure about changing languages. I can confidently say that I made no mistake. Coming to Concordia was the best choice I could have made for myself. I find myself having good grades that I could never even dream of getting at a French school.
Changing from French to English school was a big step for me. I expected it to be slightly difficult, but I was able to adapt to it a lot better than I anticipated. I don’t stress about reading out loud in class or handing in something that I wrote (which was something that caused me a lot of anxiety in the past). Going to English school has boosted my confidence, and I could not be more pleased with the outcome. I love my French culture, and I still speak French half of the time. But academic wise, English was the way to go.