Studying abroad

Studying abroad – Université de Tours

In the first semester of the academic year 2019/2020 I did my minor abroad for the degree programme European Languages and Culture. As French is my major language I went to France, more specifically to the university of Tours, which is located in the Loire Valley in western France. As my profile in ELC is Language and Society, I chose courses which linked to linguistics, namely, Acoustique, Linguistique Appliquée: Langage et Cerveau, Langues des signes française, and Didactique, langues et diversité. Each of these courses were worth 4 ECTs. I am interested in pursuing a master’s in translation, so I took two translations classes: Traduction pour étudiants d'échange anglaise/français and Traduction pour étudiants d'échange français/anglaise (each worth 4 ECTs). I also took a course called Compétences numériques (2 ECTs) as I thought it might be connected to technologies used with linguistic research and statistics, however I had misunderstood and in reality it was a class (compulsory for the native linguistic students) on how to use Microsoft Word; had the course not have started in the middle of the semester and had I known the specifications of the course sooner, I would have opted for something more relevant.

Generally speaking, the classes were of a high standard and mostly well-presented and welcoming to international/exchange students – I will say, however, not all resources for classes are free and easy to come by; information and classes were rarely made available online, and it could be quite difficult to contact professors outside of the classroom. We were informed by the host university to inform lecturers at the start of the first class that we were exchange students, so as to make them aware of your existence and situation. For the most part (from my experience) the professors were very welcoming, however the professor from the Acoustique class was less so, making a point that she wasn’t going to slow down and it was up to me to ensure my French was good enough to keep up – this was the one class I didn’t do so well in.

In the event of having any issue, the exchange coordinators at the University of Tours were always ready help; for the most part it was possible to simply knock on the door and have any queries answered, but in the event of them being out of office you can easily make an appointment via email.

Reception and accommodation

Before coming to Tours and during the process of organising all the paperwork etc. involved in applying to Tours, I recommend you visit their website as it has detailed

information about the application procedure, but also you can access a booklet (in French or English) designed for exchange students with information regarding important aspects of student life, e.g. travel, accommodation options, financing, etc. (This will also be provided upon arrival, but I think it is better to read in advance). Within the documents of your application, the University of Tours provides two extra applications, one is a form stating whether or not you would like to participate in the French Buddy system (which I

recommend as a great way to meet local students), and the other is an application for accommodation – on said application, you can opt to find your own housing, however I highly recommend you apply for housing via the university as it’s much easier and as an exchange student you are guaranteed a room. This student housing is, as I mentioned before, organised by the university in partnership with the student housing company la CROUS. La CROUS offers many housing options across the city, with at least 1 building near each faculty and depending on the building you choose, most buildings have secure bicycle parking and a laundry room, and you have the option of a single room with shared kitchen/bathroom, a

shared room (1 other person, with whom you share the kitchen and bathroom), or a private studio (own kitchen/bathroom). It is worth knowing that the housing is quite affordable, especially in comparison to Groningen – I had a private studio (large bathroom, kitchen separate to sleeping area) and paid €365/month, utilities and Wi-Fi included.

Upon arrival, you will have an appointment at the main university building to finalise any paperwork and to inform you of what’s available at the university, this will be done in small groups – it is important that you bring a copy of your health insurance (EHIC), passport and a passport sized picture (I would suggest having a few copies as they can come in use elsewhere). In said meeting, you will be informed about ESN, the Buddy system, sport memberships, activities for exchange students, where to find buildings and much more. After this meeting, or in the next few days (if the student card machine breaks again), you will pick-up your student card and a small booklet with a certificate of enrolment and log-in details for the online portal (ENT)/Wi-Fi (eduroam). It is important to note that if you are coming to Tours for languages that you might be enrolled in the faculty Arts – Sciences Humaines as opposed to Lettres et Langues as the university is partnered with Groningen via the History department – this shouldn’t cause any issue as long as you are aware beforehand.

Contact with Groningen

If you are coming to Tours as a student of French, you will have regular contact with your exchange coordinator and professor of Advanced French Proficiency. The former will regularly check in on you and your progress/see how you are settling in, and if you ever have any doubts or concerns, they will always do what they can to help. The latter you will have regular contact with, in order to ensure you are doing the work for the advanced proficiency class, but also to see how you are coping – you will have at least 2 skype sessions with your professor.

Expenses

Going on exchange will of course have its expenses, from travel to paying rent etc. however some things may work out cheaper than your current situation, for example the rent (unless of course you currently live at home). Travel expenses to get to and from Tours will obviously vary from person-to-person depending on how you plan to travel, you must keep in mind that you will have your belongings with you. I was lucky that my brother and father were planning to go on holiday not far from Tours, so I drove with them, however it is also possible to fly or take the train depending on your budget/how long you want to travel for. Travelling within the city also has its costs depending on how you plan to get around. Depending on where you live you may opt to walk everywhere, most places aren’t too far away from the city centre. You might want to bring your bike, which is of course free, however it’s also possible to rent a bike at a very reasonable rate as well, I will go into this further. Finally, something I would recommend getting is a bus pass (Carte FilBleu), this can be used for the buses and trams around the city and can be used in combination with a bike rental. You can get a student travel plan, which costs €23/month, which might sound a lot, but it is unlimited travel and works out a lot cheaper than other options or buying tickets individually (this obviously depends on how often you plan to travel by public transport, but I would use it pretty much everyday for class and visiting parts of the city that were further away). With regard to bike rental, like I said you can do this in combination with the bus pass, where you will pay an extra €3/per month, or if you don’t want the bus pass you can rent a bike from the same company for €5/per month, however with this there is a catch (or

at least this is what I was told) you need to have a French bank account and a copy of your RIB (similar to a bank statement).

To live in any kind of accommodation in France you need contents/liability insurance, and it must be from a French insurance company. It can be hard to organise, especially if you don’t know what companies exist or which are most reasonably priced. I was fortunate enough to have some French friends who have studied in France and they recommended a company that offers insurance for students, from 6 months to a year – I appreciate you might not be staying for a whole 6 months, but it is very reasonably priced – the company can be found by searching for “assurance ADELE” ( https://www.adele.org/en/housing-insurance) and costs only €25 (that’s for the whole 6 months). You should receive the

documents within 48hrs of application, but if not, the company is very easy to get hold of via telephone and they will solve any issues with as little delay as possible.

In my experience, the cost of groceries is cheaper than in the Netherlands and produce tends to be a lot fresher. And of course, it is the land of cheese and wine, so you will find good quality products for a student friendly budget!

If you like going out for a drink, there are definitely good opportunities. In the city centre you will find Place Plumereau, which is a square of historical buildings, all of which are either pubs or restaurants. Furthermore, pretty much all the pubs have a happy “hour” (a term which you can see they use quite loosely) from 5pm to 8 or 9pm; a pint will cost around 2-3 euros and a cocktail around €5, ideal if you’re on a budget. With regard to nightlife, there are a few clubs you can go to, but be aware that none of them are free (with the exception of Les Trois Orfèvres, where you can enter for free with an ESN card), they can be quite expensive and some establishments won’t take card for transactions less than €10. You may also find that on certain nights bouncers will turn you away if you’re under 21, I’m not sure why this is as the legal drinking age (hard liquor and access to clubs) is 18, but I suppose this is the choice of the business.

Advice for your time abroad

For some, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so don’t forget to enjoy it! It may at times be difficult, but there is always a support network, do not be afraid to contact your professors and exchange coordinators if you need support, that’s what they are there for.

Be aware of your surroundings, although Tours is not a big city, crime and

pickpocketing still takes place – there’s quite a high homeless population, they’re mostly harmless, so don’t be afraid, these people aren’t the problem with regard to crime the most they’ll do is ask for a cigarette and a conversation.

Do take part in as many of the activities provided as you can, as it’s a great way to meet and make friends, learn more about the region and practice your French. Most of the

activities are budget friendly as they are for students and some are even free, so don’t miss out.