Unis in France

[bLub]

Hi there,

I'm planning to apply to French unis but I'm slightly confused about the application procedures atm... Anyone familiar with them? (i.e. when to apply, where to apply, when will they make me an offer, until when do I have to respond to that offer...?)

Also, do you think it's a good/bad idea to study in France? What I've heard of is that the unis don't have a good reputation...

I'd like to do Foreign Languages at either Strasbourg, Nancy, Nice, Marseille, Montpellier, or maybe Lyon or Toulouse (+ Uni Louvain, Liege or Bruxelles in Belgium)... do you know anything about those unis, any tips + co., pros+cons...?

Looking forward to many replies

Edited January 25, 2010 by bLub

[Vvi]

My university has language exchange programmes with Rennes, Strasbourg, Lyon and Bruxelles. I'm planning on going to either Rennes or Strasbourg because I know too many people in Lyon to begin with that all speak English. Bruxelles is my last choice because if you want to learn in French, the Belgians speak French but France is much better for learning the language properly.

I would say the Grandes Ecoles are much better than the universities, I think I originally read this off Wikipedia. However, it's still true that anyone who passes their French Bac (i.e. gets higher than 10 out of 20) can attend uni, which is the equivalent of having people's with 3 E's at A-level in the same uni. Some universities have 1st year exams, and they only take the best students on to 2nd year so you'll lose all the people that aren't academic/don't care.

The Grandes Ecoles are far better than universities as they are selective, but I don't know if they exist for modern languages (generally they do enginerring or related subjects). They're the equivalent of universities, and not schools as you might think.

You don't say what foeign languages you want to study, but an option is to study in England and do a year abroad in France/Belgium in 3rd year. I take French at university and we have very good lectrices teaching us, all of whom are French themselves. Some of the French I've heard 2nd year students speak is crap though, and some aspects are lacking in at leats our French department.

[Thomas Obeuf]

If you don't know French you can't get into a French university. You need to take a French equivalence exam called the Delf/Dalf. I did it in my Grade 9 year, having been in the IGCSE program and being in the AS program. It isn't difficult if you are fluent enough, but if you aren't it is extremely difficult.

[bLub]

Sorry my reply has taken a while, have just noticed your replies...

@VVi: Well, I could study here in England and then go abroad, I know, the problem's though that the unis here are far too expensive!! And I think the best way to get fluent in a language is to actually live in the country where it is spoken

I've read about the Grand Ecoles as well, but unfortunately, they only do Engeneering and Business courses and so, nothing really concentrating on languages... I'll probably do either Arabic or Spanish (whereby the latter one might be difficult coz I'm a beginner and since most Frenchies learn S in secondary school, unis usually don't offer it for beginners :/)...

On the one hand, I'd like to go to France - coz I just like the country and you're right that it's better to learn F in F than in Belgium... On the other hand though I've heard that French unis, i.e. the whole French burocratic system, can be/is quite unorganised... and I'm really organised and love order etc... Belgium unis, I think, have a better status!?....