Student life in Lille

The City

I don't need to tell you that moving to a new city releases a mixture of emotions, including excitement, anxiety, and in some cases: absolute chaos, hysteria and night sweats. One thing that I have learnt is that a strong coffee and a glass of wine (or 600 thousand of them) help to alleviate the terrifying process of uprooting yourself and moving to a different culture. Fortunately, Lille's reputation for good food had been affirmed, seeing as it received the title of the European Capital of Culture in 2004; hence their good coffee, lavish Champagne bubbles and even delicious dinners which are known to be well outside of the average student budget.

However, Lille's reputation as the door to Europe, due to its excellent public transport service and its recent prominent discovery of being the culturally dominant centre of Europe, has secured it's own market, although it is somewhat ominous and comes with a minefield of problems so complicated that even the most experienced city would struggle to have a handle on it. Finding accommodation can be difficult. However, like most things in life, if you persevere your efforts will be paid off in this great city.

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The perfect crib

I arrived at Lille Europe Train Station about two months ago with two heavy suitcases and a laptop bag; wearing an enormous puffer coat during an unforeseen Indianesque heatwave at the start of September. Thankfully, having been house-hunting since April, I had found somewhere to live. During the next 10-12 months, I would be experiencing life living in city-centre accommodation, in Metropolis Lille. Whilst many people move away from the idea of a house-share in the search of a trendy zone in the city where it will be easy to find clothes shops and the cobblestoned streets of Lille Old Town, I really wanted to house share with another family. Initially, I looked for letting agents in the whole city and I allocated them to listings of every newspaper, magazine and window that I was able to find.

I found searching for a landlord a difficult task and after two whole days of looking, I wasn't able to find an appropriate house, so I had to move into university accommodation. However, this way of living certainly isn't to everyone's taste and I can assure you that your patience and the level of cruelty in going down this path pays off. An important point that has become blatantly obvious to me in the final weeks, is that France is perhaps one of the most bureaucratic nations in the world, so come with as many documents as you can, to help appease the average French civil servant.

I would recommend bringing a small portfolio with copies of everything, from your passport to your parents pay slips (believe me, it will help). Also, it's obvious, but if you are going to live in the trendy area of the city, surrounded by lovely boutique shops and bars, you should be prepared to use most of your student loan or paychecks to finance this.

How can you travel around Lille?

For those who are familiar with the London Underground, the initial excitement of seeing a small and efficient metro system with no barriers could encourage you to save a few euros and travel for free. In one word, NO! The ticket inspectors are stationed in front of the metro exits regularly and randomly, longingly waiting to give a 30 euro fine to those who cheat the system. It's a lot more simple (although less fun and more expensive) to respect the rules.

Apply for a rechargeable subscription metro pass if you are under 26 years old before you move to Lille. You have to upload a passport photo, send a stamped envelope, a short form, a photocopy of your passport and pay an administrative fee of 2 euros, which gives you unlimited journeys on both the metro and bus lines for only 238 euros for 10 months! Also, you can take advantage of living in such a convenient central location by exploring France and whichever other European cities take your fancy. Paris is only a mere hour away via train, so you really don't have an excuse to not go and travel! I recommend reserving your ticket in advance to take advantage of the deals available so that you're sure to nab the best discounts possible.

Art, culture and history in Lille

There's an abundance of museums, opera houses, theatres and art galleries to cultivate your mind and transform your average English-speaker from a disinterested idiot into someone sophisticated with a good eye for real architecture and a growing and profound knowledge of the local wine list. Some good tourist spots include the Lille Palace of Fine Arts (Palais des Beaux Arts), in the centre of Lille, and the La Piscine Museum (Musee de la Piscine) near to Roubaix, which hosts impressive collections of historical artefacts. Also, the collections are kept within the magnificent architecture of eye-catching buildings, which merit the visit themselves! As always, there is an array of beautiful churches, symbolising the importance of the history of religion in France and offers an insight into the variety of unique architectural styles.

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Shopping

Almost everything that you could want to buy you can find within the labyrinth of cobbled streets in the huge and popular focal point of Lille, the Grand Place. Only go there with a fat wallet. Shopping here is not cheap, however, the quantity of shops on the streets, much of which are independent to France, and the stupidly big department stores like Lafayette Galleries will ensure that all your needs are met.

Eating out

Soleferino road and the lovely cobbled street of Old Lille are where the city's nocturnal buzz is most felt. There are enough restaurants to satisfy even the most voracious of appetites, and a huge selection of food from stacks of French cuisine (although posh) to the quintessential and legendary kebab shop!

I highly recommend eating on a balcony in Old Lille, where the streets are occupied with outside tables. Drink a glass of red wine whilst watching the world pass you by, remember that your year abroad is a cultural education, as well as being important for future job applications. Most restaurants have signs outside with a list of the meals and their prices, so I highly recommend enthusiastically exploring the streets until you find a restaurant which fits both your taste-buds and your budget!

Nightlife

For the party-goers, there are several clubs in Lille which offer an eclectic mix of classic and trendy clubs. Just bear in mind that Lille metro is closed from 12 to 7. 30 am on Sundays and between 12 and 5. 30 am every other day, so if you don't live centrally make sure you have a taxi pre-booked for later. Also, the great British tradition of putting a food truck directly outside of the club for a drunk bite to eat simply doesn't exist in Lille, so make sure the fridge is stocked for when you're starving at 6 am!

At this point in my year abroad I've been learning more and more about this cool and vibrant city. In general, I have to say that my number one piece of advice would be to simply explore, get a good feel of the city, visit the places that interest you, put your feet in the ground to explore and practice French in the local sites.