137 reviews
4.16 / 5 based on 137 reviews
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passionfruit
Student life
Describe host city:
Students equally interact with the local and student community
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Activities: Takes place mostly within the university/student environment
Travel: Takes place mostly outside the university/student environment
Nightlife: Takes place both within and outside of the university/student environment
Personal social experience
Personal comments
I was overwhelmed with the many places offered to partake in Québec City's vibrant nightlife. Having been there during the Festival d'été, there were many open air concerts and performances to choose from. Popular nightspots include Chez Dagobert, which has an amazing dancefloor (but a less than desirable atmosphere), the trendy Chez Maurice across the street. Also nearby is Liquid, a club with three different rooms providing for a lot of variety. All of these are located on the Grande Allée Est, along with popular restaurants and North American fast food joints. Most of the clubs have a small, if not no cover charge! Rue St. Jean is also a great street: be sure to go to the Kashmir night club, the Casse-Crepe Breton Creperie, and Pub St-Alexandre - they are all must visits and well worth your time and money. For those days when you don't want to go downtown, the university pub, "Le Pub", is a hotspot on Thursday nights.
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passionfruit
Housing
Type of housing: On campus
Arranged by: Host university
If returning, I would choose: On campus
Why?
Although living with a family provides you with more immersion in the language and Québec culture, living in the university residences has the benefits of being closer to essential facilities and the opportunity to meet a diverse group of people.
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Personal comments
Recommended! I stayed in Pavillon Agathe-Lacerte which was an all-girls residence. Most international students stay in Pavillon Alphonse-Marie-Parent, and while the rooms are not as nice as in Lacerte, the kitchen facilities are excellent, as is the atmosphere. (That is if you prefer a little more liveliness!)
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passionfruit
Academic
Course recommendations
I was at Université Laval for the French for non-Francophones program during the summer session. This program operates on 9 levels from Beginner to Advanced, and also Superior for almost fluent speakers of French. From Beginner to Intermediate, only three mandatory courses are offered - a comprehensive grammar and oral course, a phonetics course, and a class devoted solely to oral expression. At the advanced and superior levels, a variety of courses are offered in Québec literature, culture, and more. Make sure early on that the level you are in (determined by a placement test) is right for you; it will make your experience all the more enjoyable!
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My academic experiences
Interaction with teachers
Interaction with international students
Interaction with local students
Personal comments
I was lucky to have an excellent professor - Madame Moussalli - who always managed to make classes very animated! The workload was not very difficult for me but increases in accordance with the level of skill.
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My opinion of the university assessment
Exams throughout the course
Essays and/or projects at the end of course
Essays and/or projects throughout the course
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0
passionfruit
Languages
Language of instruction: French
Was learning French a key decision factor?
Yes, I wanted to improve my French
How much did you improve your French?
My level before: Basic phrases
My level after: At ease in most situations
Language difficulties
Administrative / Institutional
Personal comments
Québec City is at least 96% French-speaking. This, and the focus on speaking in French at all times at the university allowed me to improve my French immensely. Socio-cultural activities and partaking in the nightlife gave me the chance to learn a great deal about Québec culture from the locals. (And to get used to that québécoise accent...!)
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2
passionfruit
Overall
I wish I had known...
That there were full kitchen facilities in all the residences - I would have brought pots, pans, and utensils from home. Also be prepared and bring warmer clothes, even if you are staying during the summer. It rains frequently here.
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In my opinion:
Everybody loved it, you will too!
Important factors in my choice
(1) Unimportant – (4) Very important
Personal recommendation
For all students with an interest in learnind and/or improving their French, Université Laval is an excellent choice. The adminstrators of the language school and the "animateurs" (who organize the socio-cultural and sports activities) showed the utmost dedication in ensuring that there was always something to do and that speaking French was the main goal.
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During my experience abroad, I ...
(1) Never – (4) A lot
Became familiar with another culture
Met people from other countries
Experienced a change in life
Advanced my studies & career
Final comments
If you are a Canadian student, take a look at the Summer Language Bursary Program. If you apply and are chosen (through a random draw) you will receive a bursary of about $1600 that covers tuition, room and board, and some other costs. It is an extraordinary opportunity, with programs offered not just at Université Laval, but in other Francophone institutions around Canada.
This has truly been my best summer to date. Meeting people from all over Canada, the United States, Mexico, and other pockets of the world, and enjoying the Québec culture and the city's European flavour was much like finding a chest full of many treasures.
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4
passionfruit
Expenses
Main source of funding:
Government assistance
Other sources of funding:
Family<br>
Personal savings
Work opportunities:
I didn't explore any work options
Personal spending habits
There is a large supermarket (Metro) across the street from the Lacerte residence. Although you can usually find some good deals, I found that fresh fruits and vegetables were a great deal more expensive here than in grocery stores in Ontario. Nightlife can get expensive, but fortunately many clubs didn't have a cover charge.
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Travel, Food:
was more expensive than at home.
Overall, Telephone, Nightlife:
was the same price as at home.
Housing:
was less expensive than at home.
Accessibility of student needs
Second-hand household items
Personal comments
Lots of bank machines around campus, just be prepared for ATM service charges and charges that your home bank will apply.
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