Let me begin by saying that, if you are looking for a cultural exchange, France will not disappoint! I went to Grenoble, down by the Alps, and had an amazing time. Grenoble is a great place for exchange: it is an international student city and has heaps of activities and associations for students. But the city’s greatest attraction would have to be the outdoors surrounding it. There are so many opportunities to go hiking, climbing and skiing in the mountains, depending on the time of year. Towards the end of semester and for several weeks afterwards, I did little else but snowboard!
Also, studying anywhere in France, it is so easy to travel to so many other cool places. I travelled to the big city, Paris of course, but just as exciting were the smaller places - the country vineyards and villages like Carcassonne (which, by the way, has an ‘Australia Park’…bizarre). You could spend ages criss-crossing the country visiting these places and not tire of it, there is just so much to see. Also, there are so many countries only a short trip away, by Australian standards anyway. A highlight for me was Oktoberfest 08 in Munich! The culinary opportunities in this country are wonderful. The wine is cheap (and there’s a lot of it) and the chocolate and cheese are simply amazing. Though it might be too expensive to dine out at a good restaurant more than once, it is still very affordable to experience the French culinary culture. This is one of the things I will miss the most, as well as a good baguette.
While living in Grenoble, I stayed in an international student residence. To be honest, the residences in France are not usually the nicest or most comfortable in the world, but they are definitely the easiest option and are great for meeting new people and getting into the international student lifestyle. I met so many other internationals and heaps of French students also and now have friends all over the world. My residence was up on one of the mountains around Grenoble (have a look at the picture) and while a lot of things didn’t work too well, it was a hoot! In terms of academia, Grenoble is a university town. You can study just about anything, and it is an internationally renowned centre of research. I had trouble finding the right subjects beforehand, but this is fairly common (the French university websites aren’t the best, and the administration doesn’t generally understand the need to nominate subjects prior to arrival). But, no doubt what want to study is there somewhere. Studying in a good university, in the well funded ‘Grande Ecole’ network, will be a great academic experience as well as a very positive mark on your academic record.
So, while France might not be the easiest place to go on exchange to, it is definitely one of the most rewarding, I had the time of my life and am missing it already (but I am having another exchange to Dublin to console myself). For all the opportunities for an once-in-a-lifetime cultural experience, I say head to Grenoble.
