France

1. Accommodation- University accommodation is not as bad as some people say- the advantages are that it is cheap, convenient (as the campus is situated on a hill a bus ride away from the town centre) and great for meeting new people. However, to arrange university accommodation you have to get in contact with an organisation called CROUS as the university itself does not manage its accommodation. You will have lots of paperwork to fill out before you are allocated a room, and the office is only open certain hours- do check that the office will be open at the time you are hoping to arrive to avoid stressful situations of having nowhere to sleep! Also, you must write to CROUS to confirm when you are leaving to avoid being charged a hefty fine!

2. Travel- I would definitely recommend travelling around Normandy and the rest of France as much as you can. The 12-25 travel pass is a great investment if you are hoping to make most of your time to see other parts of France- this can be bought from the railway station. You can also buy a bus pass from the train station which can be topped up monthly at various bus stops in town- this definitely saves money and is easier than buying tickets from the conductor. Don’t forget to swipe the pass as you board the bus and validate your train tickets using the machines on the platforms to avoid being fined by angry conductors!

3. Modules- don’t worry about the modules that you initially wrote down on your Learning Agreement-before term starts you are given booklets from the various departments to choose your modules. You have to check they don’t clash using the timetables displayed on the notice boards- this can be a little stressful at times but stick with it and it will eventually get sorted! During term time, make friends with French students who will be more than happy to lend you notes and help with all any problems; also don’t be afraid to ask lecturers for help although they don’t have set office hours like in Exeter. Exams may be quite long- 4 or 5 hours.

4. An Erasmus organisation called Servus Europa organises many different activities for students, including trips to famous cities and tourist attractions, nights out, and a buddy scheme in which a French student is paired with Erasmus students to help with any queries or worries. This is a great scheme to meet French people and everyone is very friendly so I would definitely recommend it!

5. A French oral/conversation class is offered for around €50 for the semester.

6. There are numerous restaurants on campus which are heavily subsidized.

7. Be patient if you get affected by strikes in the city- you might not have classes and there will be little information to hand. Be aware that transport could be affected too.

8. Go to La Walsheim restaurant in Rouen for Alsatian food- they serve delicious flammekuechen!

Antonia Wimbush studied at Université de Rouen

My first piece of advice would be to go to the city/town where you are living in plenty of time before term starts to find accommodation. It's important you look around the town/city and know where is safe to live before committing to living somewhere. I would equally recommend that you make sure that you embrace the culture and socialise with as many 'non Brits' as possible. It's amazing how quickly you'll go into your comfort zone and socialise with other English students. Make sure you attempt to integrate as early on as possible with other nationalities! Thirdly, make use of the ERASMUS societies! They organise so much and do a lot to make your time as students as enjoyable as possible!

Simon Cope studies Business and Economics at the Ecole de Management, Grenoble

Accommodation:

I believe it is far better to live nearer to other students and other friends, than choosing a nice house further out. You don't compromise going out and getting involved and you make friends very quickly. Research and talk to others and find out where they are living. Also in France the CAF system for receiving housing benefits is useful and can really help out. The admin is a nightmare but well worth it.

Integrating:

Try and speak at least five minutes of the foreign language a day to keep up the practise. Also going to free festivals and events can increase exposure.

Saving:

For the first few weeks, try out different supermarkets and compare prices; you will be amazed at the differences in price. Also go to the local markets, you can always find a good deal. ALWAYS ask if there is a concession price, as often it will not be advertised. Before going it is worth saving up a bit of money so that when you are out there you can take full advantage of going places and doing things. I saved up to £2,000 over the summer, and did so much travelling and skiing I wouldn't have been able to do it if I hadn't saved.

Georgia Sanders studied at Grenoble

Finding a flat can be tricky (in France at least) and if you can get there at the start of the summer you'll find a lot more choice. Once at your university, it it's a French one, the administration will be almost certainly awful. They just need chasing up a bit - they're incompetent, but mean well.

Have a separate Erasmus folder containing all relevant documents, mine all got separated and it was a nightmare trying to find them all again. Print a map of the town before you arrive. Don't be afraid to make mistakes if you are speaking a foreign language, I found that because I tried to speak more French than some of the other Erasmus students with me it was a lot easier to integrate and to make friends, the permanent students were a lot more excepting and appreciative that you were making an effort.

"Get a rail card, it costs about 50 euros and you can save half price on off-peak train travel, essential if you want to do any travelling around France. It's called 'la carte douze vingt-cinq'.

Find out about the CAF, it's a housing grant that makes the cost of accommodation much more palatable, it's not too tricky to organise.

Be prepared to play things by ear, the faculty has an air of inefficiency when it comes to knowing exam dates and term dates and such things in advance. Don't panic too much about choosing your modules before you arrive, there's plenty of opportunity to find new ones and swap and change - I completely messed up what I selected and it caused absolutely no problems at all.

There is an opportunity to work as a language assistant in local schools, it pays well and it really good fun. There's usually a meeting about it early in the term, make sure you go along - it's a great opportunity to meet people and experience a different side of French life.

The students here are really friendly and patient if your language isn't fantastic. You need only find one or two in order to get the hang of the language."

Thomas Stewart studied Business Studies at the University of Chambery

"For accommodation in France try and avoid university halls if you can, there are no cooking facilities, they're in horrible buildings and are tiny! Use www.appartager.com don't be worried if you have to sign a contact before you can make it over there, I had to do that and it worked out fantastically!

Warning! If you are studying at a university theoretically you can study any combination you want but even if it works out in the timetable it probably won't work out with exams and the secretaries will not help you - play it safe and just take the same as a normal French second or third year student would, helps you make friends as well because you're always in the same classes!"

Anna Jenkin studied History at the University of Rouen

This is a universal piece of advice for Erasmus students everywhere. It is very easy to get comfortable and hang out with the other Erasmus students in the area, buy you will only end up speaking English and it will do nothing for your language. The best way I found to integrate was to join a sports club and meet a lot of local people that way, and they will be like minded.

If you are going to La Reunion and would like to contact Lucy and ask her questions then please contact erasmus@exeter.ac.uk

Lucy Hinton studied French with Italian and complete a British Council teaching assistantship in La Reunion

"For accommodation www.appartager.com is very useful, but if you are serious you need to sign up for a month to get people's contact details. Speaking from experience if you turn up in October you will need to stay with friends or in a hostel (there is one in Echirolles which is good - 20 euros a night - book online) or come down a few months in advance and secure your apartment when the demand is lower. Expect to pay around 350 euros upwards for something reasonable and you'll definitely find life easier if you stay nearer the centre of town not near your school if you are an assistant. I wouldn't recommend agencies their fees are pricey and they expect you to have a french guaranteur.

Travel - 12-25 travel card for train travel gives 30% discount costing about 50 euros, worth it if you intend to travel.

Skiing - If you want to ski then an Ecole de Glisse card is essential. It costs 30 euros but you get really cheap ski passes. You can sign up at the university at the piscine. If you are not a student at the university you can still join if you buy a carte sportive first; all in all it cost 50-60 euros but it will be the most worthwhile thing you'll buy. Take at least two passport photos.

CAF - If you are eligible, CAF will give you money back from your rent. Do it as soon as possible as it takes months to come through but it is definitely worth the hassle."