Erasmus Experience in Orleans, France, by Cherian

Why did you choose to go to Orleans, France?

I wanted to spent a year in a French speaking city outside Paris.

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How long is the scholarship? How much money do you receive to help you with living costs?

Although at first only six months were offered it was no problem to stay for 10. I received 170 Euro /month from the Erasmus program and student support for my rent of about 40%! I lived in a studio on campus the first 5 months, which cost 360 Euro and I got back 160 Euro from the French government. This compensation is called CAF.

What is the student lifestyle like in Orleans?

French students study a lot but go out on the weekends and sometimes during the week. On Campus which is separated from the city centre Orleans by 20 min via Tram, there is not much to do except meeting in private in student homes. This happens a lot. The city offers a number of bars and resturants of normal quality. There are two discotheques which I never went to but many other Erasmus students went there. Also Paris is just one hour away via train, a frequent destination for trips.

Personally I particularly enjoyed the vegetation at the Loire. There a small sand islands on the flat river and the water level rises above them every winter which erases human traces every time and results in an idyllic waterside with dunes and lots of green. It's also possible to rent canoes or go swimming at some places.

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Would you recommend the city and the University of Orleans to other students?

If you are looking for French city to live in for a term or two but less stressfful than Paris, Orleans can be a good choice. I would recommend to look for accomondation in the city and not on campus, that is MUCH better.

However I don't think Orléans is a better place than other cities. I enjoyed my stay but was not particularly amazed by the place.

What is the food like?

The food in the canteens on campus are just acceptable. There are some nice restaurants in town and one extraordinary but very expensive. Also I enjoyed the many small stores for culinary specialties. The food in the supermarkets is a good as anywhere.

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Orleans?

I had a studio(integrated bedroom, kitchen area and small bathroom, 20 m^2) which costed 360Euro/month but as mentioned above I got 160 back from the French government through "CAF". The second half of my stay I had a room in the city centre for 240Euro/month and got about 70 back.

To FIND the accomondation costed nothing. I simply agreed to live in one of the student homes when I applied for Erasmus there. The second room I found simply by asking on one of the facebook groups for Erasmus students. A girl offered her room to me which she left at that time. You should try that that definitely!

How much does it cost to live in Orleans?

I payed about 250/month for rent, internet, mobile and Tram tickets including French government support and spent about 500 each month on food and other stuff. So that makes 750 Euro or 800-900 Euro if I hadn't received this CAF for some reason (Check if you are eligible! There is a test on their website. )

However I think 300 Euro + rent CAN be enough. For me the rather expensive culinary aspect and traveling options were a very important feature of my stay.

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Is the language easy to get to grips with? Are there language courses available at the University?

Beeing a German, my native tongue is not romanic and I perceive French to be much harder to learn than English for instance. Spanish is also easier and the pronounciation of French can be as difficult as it is important to master because many French have little patience with imperfect skills. There are courses for Erasmus students but they don't give you a big boost. It requires disciplin to learn vocabulary and active conversation. This can be very hard if you are not already fluent but it is gets much easier after a while. First rule: Don't fear to make mistakes, just start talking, find a way to express yourself and after a few weeks you will be surprised how far you have come.

What's the easiest or most economical way to travel to Orleans from your city?

My city is Aachen in Germany. The Thalys train passes here, coming from Cologne or Essen. It's a direct 150 min connection to Paris, where I needed to make a 20 min trip via Metro to another train station from which it took another hour on a train to Orleans. If booked early, 4+ weeks in advance, I got Thalys tickets for 30 euro and 10 to Orleans. Otherwise prices can double.

Where would you recommend to go on a night out in Orleans?

Definitely along the Rue De Bourgogne where all the bars sit. There are many restaurants close by as well, not all that good and this one excuisite one, called "Lift". If you got 100 Euro left for a nice dinner with your (new French) girlfriend, this is the best cuisine you can get. Also excellent lunch option for (just^^) 18 Euro. Yes, I'm a food lover and save for such things, haha!

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And for eating? Can you recommend some good restaurants in Orleans?

Oh, night out means dinner half of the times for me, but I would recommend "Siam's" a Thai restaurant, "La Chandeleur" for Crepes and the excuisite resaturant "Lift" if you want to afford it.

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What good cultural sites are there to visit?

Located near the Loire there are many castles beautiful towns/cities to visit. We made a trip with a car of one student all the way to Saint Nazaire at the Atlantic and passed Tours, Angers and Nantes along the way, it was really worth it! You can also go by train but that's more expensive.

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Is there any other advice that you could give to students going to Orleans in the future?

Think hard about what you are looking for when doing Erasmus in France and how much time you really want to spent studying. Then ask in the facebook ESN Erasmus groups of Orleans about these things and get in touch Erasmus students who have studied the same subject or even come from the same country as you. Do you want an experience abroad in your CV and just party when you are not studying or are you ready to jump in cold water and learn a lot of new things you will never forget?

I would advise to take as few courses as possible and not try to "not loose time". You will see and experience much more and things you cannot do at home, so don't waste it!

If you are afraid that people and in particular employers may accuse you of taking a term or two off for enjoyable holidays during your studies, you can relax. Employees are more impressed by the initiative and open mindedness of going abroad, frequently stating the boost in personal development and increased maturity of these graduates than with delay-free studies. A stay abroad is not primarily about studying, it's about living and breathing another culture and country and returning rich of experiences and new point of views.