CAEN, France – Five hundred out of 1,100 students registered for the first common year of health access license (LAS) studies in Caen have opted for a pre-school internship, one week before the official start of the academic year.
These aspiring doctors, dentists, pharmacists, adn physiotherapists are diving into their studies early.
- 500 out of 1,100 first-year LAS students are participating in a pre-school internship in Caen.
- The internship aims to help students get up to speed and familiarize them with the university surroundings.
- only 20% of students typically pass the first year and advance to the second year of health studies.
- Student associations are providing support to help newcomers navigate university life and reduce anxiety.
Why are 500 students choosing to start their university journey a week early? For many, it’s about getting a head start and alleviating pre-arrival anxiety. Students like Ambre and juliette, who came from Caen and Argentan respectively, explained the benefit of the program. “I didn’t take physics and chemistry in high school, so this helps me get into the swing of things and catch up,” they shared. “It’s super beneficial to have the prospect to do this internship because we can see what to expect before the year starts and be organized before the return to classes.”
Baptiste and Victorien from Cherbourg and Granville added that the internship helps them “get familiar with the city and the campus. it’s less stressful to start a week early. We get a head start.” This sentiment of gaining an advantage and catching up is common among participants.
Low First-Year Success Rates
Laurena Gohin, president of the Tutorat Santé association, highlighted that the internship is also about easing students into the broader university experience. “Often, in high school, you’re in a fairly small structure. There’s one campus,one cafeteria,” she explained. “Here, you have to go to the university restaurant, and sometimes you have to move between different campuses. For students coming from other cities, discovering all of this at once can be extremely daunting and cause a lot of stress.”
The association aims to support students with these challenges, even offering advice to parents on practical matters like choosing apartments or finding places to eat.”It’s also about the social aspect that surrounds studies, which you need to take into account,” Gohin added.
The stakes are high, with only 20% of students typically making it to the second year and entering one of the five health fields: medicine, midwifery, dentistry, pharmacy, and physical therapy.
Emma Le Clech, vice-president of communications for the Tutorat Santé association in Caen, emphasized that the week-long program is crucial for reassuring new students. “There are so many questions about the courses they’ll be taking,” she said.”This is why we start covering many concepts so that when they have their actual classes, they already have these notions and some refreshers.”
le Clech stressed that the goal isn’t to add pressure. “Despite it being a year with low success rates, we need to reassure them that everyone can pass,” she stated. “Some people who didn’t study science specialties in high school might feel less legitimate. But that’s not the case at all. Hard work will allow many people to succeed.”
The Licence Accès Santé studies officially begin next week in Caen.
