INSA Lyon

Language and communication for me wasnt a problem because I am bilingual. If you have no idea about the language, academia will be worst for you even though it's bad even knowing the language. So learn it before you head there. My only problem was dealing with the French condescendence. They would always make fun of my accent, comment about it, always a subjust for conversation and that bothered me. They also made fun of the french canadian's accent. Keep in mind that they don't accept differences to well and that people that are supposed to know the language (ei, past colonies) are seen as inferior on many level. Also keep in mind that those 20-21 year olds are quite immature so weight in all factors.

Travel tips... save up, go away on breaks. Dont stay on that dead miserable campus and town. Travel is relatively cheap if you take it one step at a time and plan accordingly. Europe is quite open and with a French visa you can go almost everywhere. Italy, Germany, Belgium, Amsterdam, Portugal, Spain, France.... I've been in major places on 1 to 2 weeks break on a nearly 1000 dollar budget for each trip.

Please, don't get a bank account in France unless you have to. When you walk in the first thing they tell you is get one but it's because the school and the bank are partners. Unless your parents are sending money directly on that french account it's not worth it because you will pay to withdraw money from your bank to put on it and pay a fee anyways. Take a mass amount every month and keep it in your room. That keeps your home account active and increase your credit history. If you have a check being sent ask your bank how to cash it on your account. Seriously that will save you the hassel of having your card swallowed up by the machine because you don't remember the pre-assigned pin that you have to keep the whole time, not being able to take money out without a card because the bank next to the school doesn't keep cash in there, having to go to two banks in order to close your account. I find that to be a big hassel because I like to maximaze my time.

Housing at that university for people coming from my school definetely suck. The french institution try to maximize their money making by giving the best housings to students that would pay them cash directly therefore I couldn't get a better one because I wasnt going to pay them since I am guaranteed any housing I want because the student that replaced me at my school can get any one he wants. Housing could have been better. I had a fridge in my room but I don't care about that because I am used to not having one but internet was important to me because that was my only link to the U.S. and finding internships and job for the summer but I didn't get that. Therefore I ended up coming back and not being able to work, not even in a supermarket!

I don't play sports so I'll keep my opinion to myself. The one thing I'll say is that French people are greedy. The guy that replaced me had the choice of any sport he wanted on my 40,000 dollar tuition without paying, but I in return had to pay a yearly fee to play table tennis, money they will not reimburse me. Participate in all the free activities, they are fun especially when you have international friends. Beaujolais, Nuits des Lumieres, Short film festival, 24 Hours etc.... My social life was great and no thanks to the french may I add. French students get wasted at 9pm and go to bed or if they are guys they start dancing with each other in the club and forget that there are girls. That's their idea of fun.