The Experience of a Lifetime as a Foreign Student in France

Studying abroad is undoubtedly the most significant experience in my young life. Having the project of opening up to the world is the most rewarding and at the same time the most painful thing. After a few years of university studies in my home country, Ivory Coast, I decided to leave my comfort zone to discover new things abroad. That is why I decided to come and study in France. This is when the challenges begin.

Application and Admission

First of all, to get an admission in France, I had to go through Campus France to put together an application file. You must search for the training courses offered by the universities in order to identify the one that corresponds to you and that is in adequacy with your basic training. To maximize your chances of being accepted, you must make sure that you meet the admission requirements for the program you are interested in. To find out about it, you have to visit the websites of the universities. If you have any doubts, you can make an appointment with a Campus France agent for more information or attend an information meeting organized by Campus France.

Interview

After submitting your application to Campus France, you will be invited for an interview, a decisive step to obtain your visa. Therefore, the interview must be prepared: master your study and professional project and make sure to have the necessary information about the universities and cities you have chosen. Once this step is completed, the waiting period for the universities to answer begins. This period resembles a desert crossing because there is no guarantee for you to get an admission despite the fortune you spent in the process. After a few refusals, I finally received an acceptance from Aix-Marseille University.

Visa

The joy might be short-lived as an admission does not guarantee a visa. In order to avoid a refusal from the embassy that can shatter your dream, it is necessary to submit a complete file with authentic documents. As soon as you get an admission, you should not wait too long before looking for accommodation in your host city since it is difficult to find one in France while staying in your country. Proof of accommodation in France is a determining factor in obtaining a visa.

At this stage, I was still melancholic because my future was at stake and if the visa was refused, it would be jeopardized. The most striking day was the day I received a message from the French Embassy to come and pick up my passport. I was overwhelmed by anxiety, but my joy was great when I was granted the visa. I finally realized that my dream was coming true.

Arrival and Problem of Housing

I now had to prepare for my trip to France. It was the very first time I had left my country, my parents and my friends. The day I took my flight at Abidjan airport was not an easy day as the separation felt like a journey of no return.

Before I arrived in Aix-En-Provence, where my host university is located, I first landed in Paris at my grandfather’s house. Then, I had to face the big problem of housing as it is not easy to find student housing in Aix-En-Provence. Note that in my visa file, I had proof of a housing offer from the CROUS Aix-Marseille, but I had to be on site, register at the university and complete certain administrative procedures before I could access this housing. After a few days in Paris, I was accommodated by a French friend in Marseille until I finished all these steps.

On the day of the administrative registration, you must have a credit card or a cheque for the payment of your registration fees. So, the first thing to do is to open a bank account to pay the registration fees which will allow you to secure your school certificate or student card needed for all the steps to settle in: housing file, subscription to the different insurances, etc. It is a tedious process, so it is better to come as soon as possible in order to finalize all these procedures so that it does not coincide with the beginning of the courses.

Beginning of Class

At the beginning of courses, I was a bit lost, but the studying conditions were good: very cordial professors with international students, modern libraries, etc. Then, I was able to befriend a student in my class who helped me integrate and integration is very important when you are new. It was really a rewarding experience for me because I am perfectly integrated, and everything is going well now.

Photo credits: Images site Pxhere.com, licence CC0.
Montage: Julie Verstavel.