The Freshmen (Première année)

Benjamin, your turn.

Yeah.

Hello.

Have a seat.

So you're considering veterinary school?

Yeah.

Prep schools take you on file. Then it's 5 years after the exam.

It's a fine career with lots of prospects.

I'm not sure my file is really...

Why not engineer?

Plenty of prospects there.

And medicine?

Medicine also leads

to pharma, dentistry,

even midwifery.

Lots of prospects, like.

Exactly.

Dentistry.

351st... Cynthia Valdoni.

Go on!

Medicine.

No more in medicine.

352nd...

Antoine Verdier.

Nursing!

Biology!

University porter!

Hello.

Your choice, young man.

I withdraw.

There's dentistry or pharmacy.

I want to be a doctor.

You might not get a dispensation.

Withdrawal.

A little silence, please!

353th,

Diane Lalemand.

THE FRESHMEN

Got it all? Eraser, Tipp-Ex, snack...

You just can't stop.

Mum and Dad told me to look after you.

Ticket here and the gate opens.

The doors open.

When it stops, climb on board.

Got that?

- What do you do first? - Finished?

Let others off first.

Need help to find the room?

I have a class.

Good luck.

Listen to the teacher.

Look ahead!

Eyes down!

Repeater, what's your job?

Go and sit down.

May I sit here?

Thank you for your welcome.

I'm Bernard Bertonnet, the dean, and so...

I'm delighted to welcome you,

particularly the brand-new freshmen.

I hope you've been warned this is a tough year.

Especially as enrolment is up by 20%.

Medical studies are under pressure.

In this hall, only the first two or three rows

will pass.

And there are three halls like this.

If your exam grades were average,

your chances of passing are 2%.

2%, 2%, ...

I'm Antoine.

Benjamin.

Now your educational supervisor will say a few words.

Hello and welcome.

I'll introduce myself.

Nathalie Vestieu, educational supervisor.

Nathalie, Nathalie...

Want to eat?

I'm off to the UL.

The University Library.

- Already? - Yeah.

- A repeater? - Double.

So if I want advice on stuff, I can go to hell.

You've got it!

Can I come?

I'll be working.

Work well, then.

- Is it going OK? - Yeah.

Know what tutoring is?

No.

Put simply,

tutoring is done by second years who help first years

like you.

They give their time to help you so you succeed.

OK.

With mock exams, info, tests...

There's the pre-year course too.

You did the course?

In August, before starting. It's mid-September now.

No?

The year really begins in August.

You know only 300 of 2,000 will pass?

Hello.

Dad

Yeah, hello?

No, no worries, I'm working.

You're downstairs?

Yeah, come on up.

No worries.

What code?

The door code...

B8432. B8432, yeah.

You're not here?

Great!

You didn't scare me, I was working.

Chemistry and cell biology.

Fine, I'm getting into it.

Yes, that's what I'm doing.

One card per lesson with a detailed outline.

Yeah.

Exactly.

OK, I have to get back to work.

Yeah, take care.

Bye.

- Is this physics? - Yeah.

There's a line.

For a good seat, arrive early.

Can I sit here?

No, we have two friends coming.

There's no seats.

We got here an hour ago.

There's room there.

No.

You can keep a seat, not a whole row.

It's starting.

Try back there.

- What's up? - You were late, pal.

What's up?

Take your pal and sit back there. I reserved this place.

He's preventing us from sitting.

Just move, OK.

Don't be so aggressive.

What're you doing?

What the hell?

Are you serious?

I don't find this funny.

They're our seats.

So tell them.

Forget it.

Asshole.

I'm glad you're all in shape.

We're tackling fluid statics and you need to focus.

So, what's left?

That's easy. There are two forces.

On the one hand, a force pushing downwards...

I'll have three desserts.

Rice and sausage, please.

I'll have a lot of rice and sausage too.

You're hungry.

I love eating.

You leave home at 7 to get a metro seat and start work.

On embryology, say.

Get a library place right away.

Stay until 10 pm so you can revise on the ride home.

Your attitude matters.

Put the tears in a box

to open after the exam.

You'll fail but stick at it. Be a Jedi.

My parents got me a room nearby.

That's cool.

Many double repeaters?

Just me this year.

I got a dispensation.

I was this close last year.

I turned down dentistry.

Know what the dean said?

Even my mum's death on exam day wouldn't be an excuse.

I looked wild

and said I'd jump from the 7th floor. I threatened to do it.

Seriously?

No.

No, I did a huge file with a doctor's note.

Too bad, my dad and the dean know each other.

If we'd met sooner, he could've helped.

He's a doctor?

Visceral surgeon.

Wow!

Classy.

You're here. Wonderful!

- How's it going? - Good. And you?

I hope you had breakfast.

Yes. I have class in 2 hours.

This won't take long.

We open him up,

take a look, do a biopsy

and sew him up.

- Put on weight? - I don't think so.

Careful, you're short.

Don't be short and fat.

Take a hygiene cap.

It's good to see this.