Editing Roland Barthes (section)

=== Student years ===
Barthes showed great promise as a student and spent the period from 1935 to 1939 at the [[University of Paris|Sorbonne]], where he earned a ''[[Licentiate (degree)#France|licence]]'' in classical literature. He was plagued by ill health throughout this period, suffering from [[tuberculosis]], which often had to be treated in the isolation of [[sanatorium|sanatoria]].<ref name=indep>{{cite news|title=ROLAND BARTHES: A Biography by Louis-Jean Calvet|newspaper=The Independent|author=Ben Rogers|date=8 January 1995|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/death-of-the-author-roland-barthes-a-biography-by-louisjean-calvet-trs-sarah-wykes-polity-press-16325-1567120.html}}</ref> His repeated physical breakdowns disrupted his academic career, affecting his studies and his ability to take qualifying examinations. They also exempted him from [[military service]] during [[World War II]].

His life from 1939 to 1948 was largely spent obtaining a ''licence'' in [[grammar]] and [[philology]], publishing his first papers, taking part in a medical study, and continuing to struggle with his health. He received a ''diplôme d'études supérieures'' (roughly equivalent to an [[Master of Arts|MA]] by thesis) from the [[University of Paris]] in 1941 for his work in [[Greek tragedy]].<ref>Alan D. Schrift, ''Twentieth-Century French Philosophy: Key Themes and Thinkers'', John Wiley & Sons, 4 Feb 2009, p. 94.</ref>