School of Modern Languages and Cultures: French Studies: Accommodation Questionnaire

Transcription

1 School of Modern Languages and Cultures: French Studies: Accommodation Questionnaire Feedback on finding accommodation from students on their Year Abroad in 2014/15 Academie of Rouen in the town of Fauville en Caux I found out about my accommodation prior to departure. My prof ref told me that my college had 3 apartments and that 1 was free for me. The local Lycee also has an apartment block, so she promised that if I couldn t use the one at my school for any reason that I could live at the local lycee. The accommodation was above my school and I would recommend it to other students. (College Francois Villon, Rue de Grafschaft, Fauville en Caux) I paid 90 a month and this included internet and bills. I lived on my own, which was great but could be a bit lonely. Home address contacts House Insurance... Academie of Lille My teacher offered me a place with her boyfriend who had his own house prior to departure; originally it was only proposed as a stop gap between arriving and finding my own place. I did move to my own studio but after hitting it off with my former host, I returned to his place after only a few nights in the studio. I actually went across to France the week before in order to get settled in. I paid 300 a month and this included all bills, internet and food. Unfortunately, my landlord is moving and won t have a spare room so I can t provide details for other students. I was very lucky with my host family and are now very much friends with my teacher and her boyfriend; I feel my French has improved lots because of being immersed in family life. I know that not everyone s experience of staying in a family will be like mine but I would recommend trying living with a family.

2 Academie of Amiens in the town of Saint Quentin My accommodation was found for me by the Academie; it was in the town, less than 30 minutes walk to both my schools. I would recommend it to other students (Accueil et Promotion, 15 Rue Voltaire, 02100, St Quentin, Tel: ). It works similarly to university halls, is great for cheap accommodation and has places all over North-East France. I had a 2-pesron studio we each had a bedroom and shared a kitchen and bathroom. I had to pay 400 deposit and 334 per month; this included all bills water, heating, electricity, etc. Academie of Amiens - Amiens I stayed in university halls of residence (Academie d Amiens CROUS accommodation). The lady in the Academie d Amiens who keeps you informed about the language assistantship also reserved a bedroom in the UPJV university accommodation which I could accept or decline as I wished. I applied in June and was notified virtually straight away that I had a place. I just had to fill in a dossier paper form - and post back but they were lax about everything so there was nothing to worry about. My accommodation was La Residence du Castillon UPJV and it was located in the town. It was just on the border of the rough part of Amiens but it wasn t a scary location and there were good bus links. I had to pay a deposit of and paid without CAF. The room was small but you won t spend much time in it just make French friends. Academie of Nice Cagnes-sur-Mer I stayed in private rented accommodation which I found via ORPI letting agency. I searched with many agencies a week before my placement started and I got it sorted in enough time but only just. It was close to my school and about 15 minutes on the bus from Nice. I would recommend my accommodation and landlord to other students (Vincent Jacquet, Cagnes-Sur-Mer Vincent.jacquet@hotmail.fr). I paid agency fees of 300, a deposit of 1000 and rent of 510 a month. This included the internet and bills.

3 I had a three-bedroom apartment which I shared with two American girls who were also assistants. The arrangement was good. House Insurance... Academie of Orlean-Tours - Bourges, France In June I ed my responsible for any ideas about my accommodation, the address of the previous assistant and whether my responsible knew of anyone with a spare room or studio to let. It took longer than two weeks to sort but I was able to do it before I arrived. My accommodation was a studio flat next to my landlord s house and it was about minute walk from the town centre and from school. My rent was 280 a month and that included all bills, wifi, TV. I didn t need to provide any deposit or documentation. My sense is that it s easier to find accommodation with a personal recommendation from a teacher or previous assistant. Academie Orleans-Tours town of Tours I stayed in private rented accommodation. I found it through another Assistant after arriving. When I started, I was staying at my lycée and met another assistant who had found this accommodation and decided to move in to another apartment down the corridor from her. I didn t visit prior to moving out here I just hoped for the best when I arrived as I knew I already had accommodation for the start. I had applied to a foyer reasonably in advance but did not hear back until after a few weeks of being in France. It took me 2 weeks to find my accommodation. It was near the centre of the city with good bus links. I would recommend this accommodation to other students (Odalys Residence Campus Tours, 49 bis Boulevard de Preuilly, Tours Tel: , tours@odalys-campus.com). It was two-room private apartment but I had a friend very close by. My rent included internet, water and electricity. It was great accommodation as the building was recently furnished. There were lovely reception staff and the reception was often open (unusual for France). It was very rarely noisy (except for some nearby construction work) and occasional social activities organised for the students in the building.

4 Larger deposit (instead of Guarantor) House insurance Academie of Strasbourg Mulhouse, Alsace I organised a number of viewings before I arrived in France. I stayed in a hotel with my parents for two nights before finding an apartment which I liked and moved in straight away. It took less than a week. I found my accommodation using the internet the website appartager.com which advertises rooms in colocation. My accommodation was a 3-4 minute walk from the city centre; half way between the two lycées that I work in. I would recommend both my accommodation and my landlord (Vincent Vanetti (SCI EMeline), 11 boulevard de la Marne, Mulhouse Tel: ). I paid 260 deposit and 260 per month. My rent included internet, all bills and tax d habitation. It was a colocation with two other young flatmates. There were no problems and would definitely. Academie of Bordeaux I first went out to find accommodation in July 2014 but with no luck as all colocations were gone for students and the only option left was studios. Then in August I searched again and eventually gave in to a letting agency and found a two-bed flat with another Warwick student. The letting agency was called Citya. It took me longer than two weeks to find my accommodation and I looked at lots of places. My accommodation was in the very centre of Bordeaux in a prime location (Place de la Victoire) and I would certainly recommend it to other students. However, I wouldn t recommend going through an agency as the bureaucracy is just ridiculous. I paid 350 per month wifi, electricity and general building taxes were excluded. Finding accommodation was very difficult and it was an extremely stressful couple of weeks hunting for an apartment and then sorting out all the ridiculous documentation requested by our agency. We even had to spend 2 weeks at a friend s place as our electricity had been turned off. Also we could only find unfurnished apartments, so furnishing our flat was a pretty difficult task too.

5 Bank guarantor with French Bank account. Academie of Bordeaux I stayed in private rented accommodation but I found it difficult to find accommodation. I went in September and it was far too late for lots of choices. It took a week; I looked at a couple of places and found one close to my school. However, I had to use a letting agency which had very expensive fees ( 1000+) and I had to complete lots of paperwork so I would not recommend this to other students. I had a two room apartment. I paid 350 deposit and 500 rent this included water and heating. Home address contacts House Insurance Academie of Grenoble - Haut Savoie My accommodation was recommended to me by the school prior to my departure and I had already organised it before I left. It was about a 20 minute walk from the town and school. I would recommend both my accommodation and my landlady to other students (Sylvie Coulon, Residence la Marmott, 131 Montee Jacques-Balmat, Chamonix Mont-Blanc, fjtchamonix@free.fr). My accommodation was a studette and I paid 448 a month rent which included bills and tax d habitation but not the internet.

6 Academie of Grenoble - Savoie, France I was told about the agency by the head of language assistants in the Académie de Grenoble prior to departure. I had to contact him about some missing information in my arrete de nomination pack and he advised me that previous assistants had found the agency very helpful. He was a mine of information. It took two weeks to find my accommodation and I looked at three places. My accommodation was in the city centre, about a twenty minutes bus ride from my school. I would recommend my landlord (Francois Terreaux, 31 Avenue Marechal Leclerc, Chambery, logements.chambery@gmail.com). I paid 75 agency fees, 300 deposit and 400 per month. This included all the bills (water/gas/elec), wifi and taxes. It was a colocation 5 rooms with separate toilet and shower, and a kitchen. There was a lot of change in roommates throughout the year as it is designed for stagiaires and students who do not typically stay in town for a long period of time. Home address contacts Academie of Lyon I had lodgings with a family. I used Leboncoin at first, well before leaving for France. I began ing a lady who had previously rented out rooms for assistants and Erasmus students. After contact throughout the summer, I visited the house on arrival in France and, luckily, it was ideal for me. I went across to France a few days before my contract started which, if everything hadn t gone according to plan, would have been too late. I would recommend leaving at least a week to find suitable accommodation. My accommodation was close to the city centre in the Croix Rousse area of Lyon with access to the metro and buses. It was in close proximity to my school and in a lovely, friendly area. I would recommend this accommodation to other students. I paid 480 a month which included internet and bills. Academie of Nantes - Vernon, France

7 My accommodation was arranged by my prof ref and so was sorted before I arrived in France. It was based in a lycee close to my school. I had a private room with a sink, shared bathroom and kitchen with 5 others. I would definitely recommend this type of accommodation as it was very cheap. I paid less than 130 a month and didn t have to provide any documentation. Academie of Nantes Laval, Pays de Loire, France My accommodation was recommended by my responsible. I found out about my accommodation prior to departure from information given to me by my lycee. The accommodation was in the city centre, close to my school and town. I went to France at the end of September and I think that was just right as I only needed to look at the one place. I would recommend my accommodation to other students (Residence Pont de Mayenne, 8 bis rue de paradise, Laval, Tel: , p.demayenne@habitatjeuneslaval.org). For my studette I paid a month rent and this included bills (water and heating), tax d habitation. House Insurance Academie of Nantes I found my accommodation after arriving in Nantes. I had a difficult 3 weeks when I first arrived but then, using the internet and with the help of my responsible, I found my accommodation. Upon reflection, I wish I had searched for a Foyer at the beginning of the summer as that is where most of the other assistants lived. I think that really I left it a little late to find accommodation. Once sorted, I would recommend my accommodation to other students (Les Estudines Nantes Ducs de Bretagne, 2/4 Rue Emile Péhant, Nantes Tel: nantes.ducs@sejoursaffaires.com) It was a studette and included in my rent was internet, bills, tax d habitation, electricity, water. Signed contract Deposit French bank account Relevé didentitié bancaire (RIB)

8 ... Academie of Reims I found my accommodation via a previous assistant and it was organised before I left for France. I would recommend my accommodation and landlord to other students (M Pierrard, Lycee Clemenceau, 46 avenue Georges Clemenceau, Reims, alexander.pierrard@ac-reims.fr) I paid 170 a month which included my bills. It was a rented room in a lycee on a corridor with other assistants. It was a convenient location and cheap but the accommodation was in quite a bad state and there was building work going on for the whole year. House Insurance Academie of Limoges - Limousin, France I had private rented accommodation. I lived in one of the schools I worked in and I found this out prior to departure so did not have to worry too much about accommodation. I paid per month which included everything, except Internet which we did not have in the apartment. I lived in a 4 bedroom apartment in the school along with the German Language Assistant. Whilst my accommodation was quite basic, it was cheap and sufficient for 7 months (if you don t mind living without wifi).... Academie of Montpellier - Sète, France I was in private rented accommodation that I found on-line through my flatmate who was another assistant who had arrived about a week before me. I went to France about 6 days before my contract started which was perfect. It took less than a week to find the accommodation and we looked at three places. The accommodation was in the town of Sète which is about a 20 minute bus drive from my schools. I shared with one other assistant which worked well, although not as good for improving French because we spoke English but good for feeling comfortable when times were stressful.

9 We paid 375 each and a deposit of 375 each. This included the internet, phone all bills and tax d habitation. I would recommend my landlord (Maryline Villain, ema: marylinevillain@yahoo.co.uk).... Academie of Montpellier - Perpignan, France I had private rented accommodation that I found through the Facebook group for Assistants de Langues- Perpignan. I intended to go a week before I started but found somewhere 3 days before I departed. It actually took me less than a week to find my accommodation and I viewed 1 place. The apartment was just outside the town centre, close to one of my schools but not the other two. I would recommend my accommodation and landlord to other students (Pierre Grupposo, 144, Avenue Louis Torcatis, Perpignon). My rent was 400 a month which included everything. Academie of Montpellier city of Corum I found my accommodation by talking to a girl from Leeds University who had posted on the Language Assistant group that she was looking for a flatmate. She then found a large house through a friend at her university. I did all of this research and secured the house before my departure to France. It was right in the centre of the city and whilst I would recommend this type of accommodation, I wouldn t recommend the landlord who was rude, unfair and inept at solving problems (eg taking a month to replace a broken washing machine). I had to pay 700 deposit and then 415 per month this included internet, bills, tax d habitation. I shared the house with 6 others and that worked fairly well. Signed contract Deposit

10 Home address contacts Larger deposit (instead of Guarantor). Paris, France I found my accommodation through a website called erasmusu. I felt that I d left it a bit late going abroad as it took me two weeks and I looked at quite a few places. I had a room in my landlord s house, just off the Champs Élysées which I would recommend. However, I wouldn t recommend the letting agency/landlord to other students. I paid 1200 a month. Signed Contract

11 Bagnolet, Paris, France I did a Study Exchange. I found my accommodation through a friend who knew the landlady. I found out about it prior to departure (at the beginning of August) and everything was settled by the time I moved in at the end of September. I didn t have to go to France in order to find my accommodation as I was able to communicate with my landlady via . I would recommend my landlady to others (Isabelle Basoni, 65 rue Malmaison, Apartement 21, Bagnolet, France isbasoni@aol.com) I paid a deposit of 650 and my rent was 750 a month; this included the internet and bills. I shared the apartment with one other girl. We both had our own rooms and shared the kitchen, living room and bathroom. This arrangement worked very well. It s worth noting that this apartment is only rented out to girls and women. Home address contacts Home insurance...