Université des Sciences et Technologie de Lille: Lille I (USTL)

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Fortunately, no negative surprises. And, due to the small amount granted under the Tempus scholarship, no pleasant surprises either; still, the food is very cheap, the libraries are full of good books and you can have fun even by not spending too much.

Seeing things retrospectively, everything was great. Still, any beginning is difficult, especially when you are in a foreign country and you are faced with new, different behaviors. Thus, although my knowledge of French language was significant, the first days spent in Lille seemed everlasting. This tendency would become even more obvious when communicating with native speakers of French, so with people that couldn't possibly understand your uneasiness in expressing yourself in their language. But, as I was living on a campus, with students from all over Europe, the uneasiness had soon melted away; the desire to communicate and friendship tied us more closely than the language barrier could ever separate us. Consequently, I soon started to act naturally in any situation, to be myself, both in communicating with teachers and administrative staff, as well as with friends and other students.

The students associations can be a very good source of information and by getting involved in such organizations, people can benefit more from their international experience. So do not miss the opportunity. Get involved! One can adapt to the cultural context more easily, go to organized trips and can make a lot of friends.