EDHEC Business School

Cafe Oz, Stacks o' Soul (great bars), El Riyadh (best kebabs), La Braderie (festival/market), 400 Coups (great food), Wazemme market (every Sunday), Paul (croissants, pastries)

Small rooms. Common kitchen was good to meet other students, but lack of common eating space was not good. Everyone cooked in the kitchen, then went to their rooms to eat. The residence was about a 30 min walk to campus, but close to bars/restaurants.

Some bars are more expensive (sometimes double). Strength of US dollar was a nice surprise. Markets are great place to find bargains. Groceries/cooking in saves more money than you think. Also, the "Carte de sujour" allows students to claim a partial refund on living expenses.

Course included 30 hrs of French classes, which is nothing if you're starting from scratch. I picked up key phrases, but most (if not all) of my contact was with people who spoke English.

I can honestly say that my 5 months in Europe were the best times of my life (so far). Lille, the largest student city in France, is an unbelievable city. There are students from all parts of the world there. Everybody is kind of in the same boat -- away from home, looking to meet new people. The social scene is absolutely amazing. We all worked hard, but played hard, too. And the proximity to other parts of Europe (1 hr from Paris, hi speed connections to Amsterdam, Brussels, London, etc.) is key to students wishing to travel. In the last year, not a day has passed without something that reminds me of my time in Lille. Simply an amazing experience, and one that I will NEVER forget.