Université de Savoie

Communication with other students was the main way I learnt the language. Lectures were useful for picking up technical language but did not give you much opportunity for speaking. It was useful to have to organise 'carte de sejour' and other administrative documents. Beig in a university with so many Erasmus students made it all the more hard to find peolpe to speak french to as English quickly became the common language. It was worth joining a few sports clubs alone to meet french people.

Administration is very long winded in France and really takes time to complete, be prepared to spend alot of time in queues and then be asked to come back again with another form with money for something else! It is essential to set up a french bank account if you want to pay for rent. You are charged a minimal monthly fee for a french account which means you need to remember to close it when you leave the country.

If you are travelling alone maybe staying in university accomodation will be an easy way to make french friends. Make the most of the good rail service as Paris is only a few hours away as is the south coast. It goes so fast so make the most of every day!

Housing was located very close to the university which was useful for term time. It was fairly expensive but did include all amenities, making it a simple option for people who might not necessarily had much experience of living away from home. There was limited private accomodation but a very useful housing service provided by the municiple which would help find something specific to your needs. I found an appartment by spotting a poster in a shop window for the flat above and I found it perfect for my needs; central, relatively cheap and sharing with another student.

Charlies was fun and next to student accomodation so generally good for meeting other students. The Irish bar on the square was always livley and packed, expecially in summer when they get the outside tables and chairs out. This was also a good place to meet people. For a quiet drink, there is a bar on every corner. It would generally be the Erasmus students filling the bars, with the French students coming out at the weekends.