I’ve been accepted to a study abroad program through my university, and I’ll be spending fall semester 2006 in Montpellier, France. In addition to taking French classes, I’m planning on taking intermediate Chinese and some sort of math. I’m also planning on traveling on weekends and during breaks. Any advice/comments/suggestions?
Awesome! I’m excited for you! I’m trying to decide where I’d like to do a study abroad, Spain, England or wherever accepts me honestly. I hope you have a great time!
-foxy
Montpelier is a great city. Lots of young people such as yourself there.
The Languedoc-Rousillon is a lovely part of France. Be sure to try Cahors wine.
Nimes, Albi, Carcassonne, Narbonne, Toulouse on one side–and you can head up the coast on the other side: Arles, Marseilles, Cassis, Antibes, Nice, Monaco.
You’ll be close to Spain, as well. Have a wonderful time. Don’t forget to study.
If you’re going to be studying a broad in France, make sure you get her name at some point.
rimshot
Though I’m living in France for the second time, I haven’t been to many places in France. I lived in Angers, and now I live in Paris, and I can tell you that I like smaller towns in France much more than Paris. French people are so friendly, I’ve found, and often go out of their way to help out foreigners. Especially if you’re an *American *learning French.
I get down on Paris a lot, but I come from a small town, so I’m just not used to living in a town of 10 million. Paris is really an incredible place. So you should definitely visit.
Otherwise, you should search out festivals. For instance, one of the most memorable weekends of my life was in Chartres during their Festival of lights. It was spectacular.
That’s about all I can think of off the top of my head.
I’d like to spend some time in Spain and Italy as well. Does anyone know how expensive it would be to travel on weekends? How long does it take to get to Spain and Italy by train?
Also, does anyone know what foreign language classes are like at French universities? At my university here in the US, language classes meet five days a week for an hour or more each day. Would this be similar in France, or would there be more independent study and less class time?
Congratulations!!! One good way to find out about the possibilities where you’re going to be is to talk to students who have been part of that program. Are there other students at your school who have been there? If not, I would think that whatever office handles your study abroad programs can help get you some contacts.
Have a great time! I was part of 3 different study abroad programs (none of them in France, so I can’t help you there…) and had a great time in all three…
GT
Don’t forget to go north to Brussels, Antwerp and Amsterdam. While on the west coast, make sure to visit Bordeaux. Rheims has a beautiful cathedral that’s worth seeing if only for the architecture.
Montpellier/Barcelone, for instance, is a 5 hours ride. For Italy, I suspect that you’ll likely have to take an ovenight train, probably from Marseilles or Nice. Note that if you intend to travel by train, you should make sure to check the various discounts (younger than 25, “prem’s” non-refundable tickets that can be very cheap, last minute tickets, etc…)
Here’s the site of the french railways. But I can’t manage to get any fares for international travel. It keeps telling me that no fares are available, for some reason.
You can also travel for cheap to other european countries using the bus company Eurolines . But I don’t know whether they’ve a station in Montpellier. You might have to go to larger city, like Toulouse or Marseilles.
I loved my semester in Ireland. I would say do your work, but make sure to enjoy the trip, don’t make it like it’s all school or you’ll learn nothing. I went everywhere in Ireland while I was there, almost every weekend. Skip classes sometimes if you need to, at least on Fridays, or take off right after class.
If you want to be able to get away cheap try booking on Ryan Air or EasyJet, they have really cheap flights if you don’t mind getting up early and coming back late. I’ve gotten flights for as little as $30 round trip, I was at the airport at 6 am, but hey it’s worth it.
I’d also say if you can, stay for an extra few weeks at the end of the semester. I stayed an extra month and went to Russia. You can find cheap places to stay in hostles and places like that, and you can eat cheap if you do it right.
I’m going to say this again, enjoy your time there, school work will be second. You’ll have the best time if you don’t worry about missing a class or getting a bad grade.
If I had the chance to do it again I’d go in a heartbeat.
Buy a eurorail pass. I bought 300 euros-worth train tickets on a 140 euro eurorail pass. What you do, buy the pass, then only use the pass for the most expensive trips (night trains especially). A lot of people don’t get their money’s worth when they by a eurorail pass because they use it for all the trains they take.
The buses are good as well, as has been mentioned. Much cheaper.
The best six months of my life were spent in language school in Angers. Aside from the fact that I met my girlfriend there, I have been to Sweden, Italy, Poland, England, and several other places to stay for free with the families of friends I made during my time there. There is nothing like learning a language with other people from around the world.
If your classes are anything like mine, you’ll have one central class of about two hours four days a week. Then, you will have to choose perhaps three out of four option classes that last an hour two or three times a week.
At my school, they said from the start that they were very strict about attendance, but by the end of the semester I was missing whole weeks of school because I was learning more outside of class than I was in class. I still made straight A’s…
I don’t know what your classes are like at your university in the US, but when I arrived in France the first time, I realized that, even having taken French classes on and off my whole life, I had never spoken a word of French. I had never had to form my own sentences (other than saying banal things that don’t really help when you need to know what to do about health insurance or visa problems). Yet, after four months in Angers, I was close to fluent (that’s to say, I still had/have a lot of words to learn, but I at least knew how to describe the things I don’t know how to say).
That’s all for now. Enjoy yourself.
Go o a rugby match - sure the national side plays up here in Paris but the real rugby maestros are down south.
If you don’t think you’re going to be abck in Europe for a while then sure try and get weekends away whenever possible - overnight trains mean you can get a full two days in most places.