Life in France?

Question

My 18 yr old daughter is planning on studying abroad in France. She will be working in the fashion industry. She was there for 3 weeks when she was 16 and fell in love with the people, lifestyle and culture. She speaks French and will be studying French and foreign communication before she leaves. It may take a couple of years before she can get there.

Her father and I have concerns about their government, liberalism and cost of living. Are there any students in France that can give us any information about their experiences there? Housing, safety, crime, etc. Anything to make us feel a little more comfortable about her decision?

Answer 1

what a good idea to study in france! i am french, i am studying in netherlands and i ve heard a lot of compliments of my country...

and if she can speak french, she won t have any problems to live over there (we are crappy in english!). she will discover the french way of life: wine (she doesn t need 21 to drink, i think it s pretty cool!), gastronomy, cultural trips in museum and monuments...and by the way: european culture! most of american people  i ve met took advantage to be in an european country to visit the rest of europe...

About safety, there is nothing to fear, no more than an other country...keep an eye on your bag in the subway in paris, that s all !

About the government, i hope Sarkosy will be president (he s pro-american)

French people are always proud that american pay attention to our "old" country...

she ll be welcome!

Vive la France and god bless your daughter!

Answer 2

Being a student in France is one of the best experiences that your daughter could ever have. There are probably hundreds of thousands of young non-French people living and studying here.

In terms of your specific questions, crime and safety are not major problems. First of all, practically no hand guns being carried in France, since they are illegal, and generally the level of violent crime is less. There are, of course, certain neighboorhoods to avoid at night, just like anyplace else, but for the most part, France is a safe place. In addition, there is a lot more police presence on the streets at all hours of the day and night in Paris than most US cities.

Housing is probably the most difficult obstacle, as there are lots of people looking for places. The best ways to find a nice place are to look at the ads in the FUSAC, a free magazine for the anglo/expat/student crowd available around Paris and on the internet at http://www.fusac.fr/. There are ads at the American Church, but you can only access them in person. And, there are also ad boards at schools, especially where there are foreigners. If your daughter is part of the University of Paris system, she can apply to the CiteU, which is a large dormitory campus of young foreigners studying in France. Each country has a 'house', and your daughter could apply for a room.

The government is nothing to worry about. In terms of visas for students, it is easy and painless IF you bring the documents they ask for. They have special sites set up in Paris for students only, and your daughter wont have to deal with the 'regular' institutions of immigration. Otherwise, the government does not like to get involved with the daily lives of people.

I am not quite sure what you mean by 'liberalism' as a concern. There is something for everyone in France. If your daughter is religious, there are many churches and places of worship that offer services in English and French. If she is not into the bar scene, there are tons upon tons of cultural things to experience as part of the 'healty' Parisian nightlife, like theater and cinema, etc.

For cost of living, Paris is pretty expensive. A studio apartment can cost from 400-1000 euros a month, depending on size, neighboorhood, amenities, etc. There are, of course, other charges to take into account. However, most universities in France have a VERY low tuition and once it's paid, that's it. A year tuition (including library fees, medical insurance and sports) at the Sorbonne costs less than 500 euros, for example. One plus is that with a student visa, your daughter should be able to work part time (no more than 20 hrs a week) to make some pocket money.

Hope this helps!

Answer 3

Paris is like any large city, cost of living is cheaper than NY or London, although rents have gone up a fair bit, food is more expensive than in the US but cheaper than in the UK. Sharing a flat may be the best way to begin, you can find ads in France USA contact a free weekly or at the American church on the Seine, but University or school could also help her.

You could try and contact someone at the American church and find out about talking to someone there who is in contact daily w/ many foreigners but mainly US citizens. I find it safer than the US because no guns and less drugs exposure than in the US. Of course if you do not approve nudity in TV or ads you could have a pb.