If you read the instructor biography at the beginning of this course, you may remember that I paraphrased Descartes, who said that reading was like a conversation with the best minds of history. I also said that I entered that conversation with fairly mercenary objectives: I wanted a job as a student teacher, so I declared a major in French. As I became acquainted with French, my motives changed. I enjoyed working through the complex philosophical and moral issues through the eyes of great thinkers. I came to appreciate the beauty and fluidity of the French language. Why stop such an interesting conversation? I thought. And so I became a professor, so I could get paid to keep learning and studying. It’s not the most lucrative profession so my former more mercenary self wouldn’t be too pleased, but it is certainly a satisfying pursuit. In this brief preface to life after French 202, I hope to give you some ideas to inspire continued study.