Hey guys, my name is Natalie Zarb and I am in my fourth year at Western doing Honours Specialization in Political Science and a minor in French. I went to Grenoble, France in 2008/2009 as part of the Ontario- Rhone Alpes exchange. The university that I studied at was Université Pierre Mendes France. I thought I would make a list of tips and things to check out when you’re in Grenoble. I hope you have the best time and if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to send me an email at nzarb2@uwo.ca
- France has an excellent program that gives discounts to people under the age of 25. I recommend buying a 12-25 card which can save you about 30% on train travel, but make sure you go into the ticket office to buy the tickets as opposed to buying online. (If you’re looking to fly somewhere, you can find cheap discounted flights on www.skyscanner.com)
- Make sure to carry some i.d. pictures with you for the first little while. Things like the 12-25 card will need one.
- CAF (Caisses d’Allocations Familiales): any student can qualify to save 30% on rent every month; it’s a great perk that you should not miss out on.
Overall my exchange experience was the best year of my life. There will be a lot of challenges that you will face, but none of which are impossible to overcome. Always remind yourself of how lucky you are to have been chosen for such an amazing experience and when you look back, you won’t remember those challenges. I encourage you to join school teams as a way to meet students and practice speaking the language. Immerse yourself in the culture, eat lots cheese and bread, drink some wine, travel to see new places and have the best time of your life. Don’t be surprised if you don’t want to come home.
Natalie Zarb
Political Science & French IV
Université Pierre Mendes France – France
nzarb2@uwo.ca
