Université Montesquieu - Bordeaux IV

I wish someone had told me how difficult the administration at the university was going to be. The Erasmus Office are content to sit about and paper push, even in times of trouble. The Law office cannot be bothered walking the distance from their office to the Erasmus office if they need any information. Nor do they attempt to use Alexander Graham Bell's invention - it's left to the student to do all the running around. Truthfully, had I have known the sheer hassle and pressures involved in enrolling, I think I would have simply opted out!

The Erasmus office needs to be more helpful and welcoming to international students. They should supply relevant information to the relevant departmental teachers. For instance, my erasmus exchange was linked to my program of study at my home university. I was obliged to study at an institution in France in order to progress to the final year of my French degree. As I study a dual honours program in the UK, I was told that I needed to study my second subject in French at an institution in France. There were some students at Bordeaux, who actually studied French Law in England or European Legal Studies. However, none of the module leaders/teachers were aware of this distinction. I was often marked down for not having relevant background knowledge and students who were there to achieve a French law degree were marked solely on their grammar. It was amusing, but at the same time, rather worrying. I often thought Bordeaux only welcomed so many international students for it's own gain - a good reputation and plenty of E.U./Erasmus subsidies.

I feel the french higher education system could do with a huge overhaul. The student is left alone, be they native or international, to struggle their way through the relevant courses. It is very rare to be given a module outline, let alone a printed reading list. The university library has a very limited stock and therefore, buying a number of books is often the only solution. The "travaux diriges" (equivalent to our seminars/tutorials etc) are held once a week for each module however it is more akin to being in primary school than university. There is little or no teacher/student interaction. The teacher stands in front of you and speaks non stop, only pausing to pick on individual students for questioning on any given subject. Students are expected to write mini essays for each t.d. Marks are then given for attendance, answers given in class and work submitted. Students have no access to their teachers, neither by phone/email nor are there are any office hours as such. Academic life in France is not something to be relished. I found it a huge challenge and I must admit, most of the difficulties arose from the archaic teaching traditions of the university and not the module contents.

I found that food was much cheaper in Bordeaux than in England - whether store/supermarket bought or whether it was eaten out. Travel too was incredibly cheap, even without a young person's railcard (upto 50% savings with, 25% without). A yearly tram and bus pass, valid throughout Bordeaux and it's suburbs, only cost me 169EUR. My rent was more expensive, however that was to be expected as I chose to live alone in a fully furnished apartment in the centre of the city.

My apartment was central in Bordeaux yet still on the tram line so I could get to university with minimum fuss. Living near to the Hotel De Ville was brilliant as I was excellently placed for everything; food shopping, other shopping, museums, art galleries, restaurants, bars, cafes, pubs, clubs etc. Of course this was an expensive decision to make, but I do not regret it for a second.