Erasmus Experience in Paris, France by Mai

Why did you choose to go to Paris, France?

everybody wish to visit Paris at least once in their life. At my age, i just want to enjoy life of a university student. As a big city, Paris is a place of love, a cool place for clubbing or just spending time with friends at the bar. And the quality of education here is undeniable

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

well i plan to study in France for 5 years, each month i receive from my parent 700e, i don't go to work, just study. I have a small scholarship so i only have to pay 320e/month for the meals and my room. Each month i pay 23e for insurance, 35e for transportation, 2e for phone stuffs. That's all. So i still have 300e/month to spend for whatever i want and whatever i need

What is the student lifestyle like in Paris?

French people love reading books. I've been in France for 3 months. As a lazy person, i was shocked because my friends, they work really hard. If they have question, they ask. They don't talk during the class
The life here is simple but also busy. As a first year student, i don't have lots of class during the week. I usually go to school from Monday to Friday, spending 90mins-4hrs/day at school. I only have presentation for some class, is the same with the final exam to. We don't have lots exams
From thursday night til sunday night, it's all about hanging out and have some fun. I enjoy the weekend here
What i like the most, is that i have my own freedom and i can do whatever i want, go wherever i want and hanging with whoever i want.

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

I recommend for those who love having fun in a bustling city, go to Paris or big city such at Bordeaux, Lyon... In Paris i study at Paris 7, amazing university for those who want to study humanities sciences. For those who want to study law, i suggest you all go to Paris 2, for those who want to study economics, go to paris 9-paris dauphine. For those who want to study medecins or math, go for paris 5 or 6
For people who don't enjoy a bustling city, want a peace and calm environnement,you can choose a small city such as Caen,Troyes... For me, i found these cities are pretty boring and don't fit me well

What is the food like?

I love Icecream,pizza, kebap, kfc... Fast-foods here are quite good. The only thing i don't like is that westerners don't eat chili sauce at the restaurant

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Paris?

No

How much does it cost to live in Paris?

Each month i receive from my parent 700e, i don't go to work, just study. I have a small scholarship so i only have to pay 320e/month for the meals and my room. Each month i pay 23e for insurance, 35e for transportation, 2e for phone stuffs. That's all. So i still have 300e/month to spend for whatever i want and whatever i need

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

I think the hardest part of study abroad is the language. I'm having hard time to blend in because i'm not really good at french. But Languages courses are available at all university.

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

Paris isn't as cool as what i expected. I don't know where to go after midnight cuz normally people don't go out that late and almost everywhere are closed at 9-10pm (from what i saw). But at some streets such as Pigalle, Bapstille, Champs-Élysées, the lights are still on and it's not hard to find some night clubs, or just a nice bar, pub to having fun with friends ;)