My year abroad in Strasbourg, France

Hi, I’m Frankie, I’m a third year French, German, and Linguistics student, and I’ve just come home from my year abroad studying at the University of Strasbourg in France. This blog will give an overview of some key parts of my experience, hopefully it’s helpful to anyone considering going to Strasbourg / elsewhere in France!

Living in Strasbourg

Overall I found Strasbourg such a great city to live in. It is so beautiful, which was ideal for me as a keen photographer, and a perfect size – not too big to be overwhelming but big enough to not run out of things to do. As a student of French and German, Strasbourg was the ideal choice for me, as it’s right on the border between France and Germany. My accommodation ended up being closer to the German border than to Strasbourg city centre, and I even went to Germany every week to do my weekly shop (as lots of people in Strasbourg do, because shops are cheaper in Germany apparently)!! The region is very interesting historically, as it has been passed between France and Germany several times over the last few hundred years, and you can still see a lot of German influences today, including on the food and the architecture style. Also, the EU parliament is located in Strasbourg, and I got the chance to visit it several times including for a plenary session. 

Christmas in Strasbourg was so magical, as it’s known as the ‘capital of Christmas’, with one of the oldest and largest Christmas markets in Europe. Although this meant Strasbourg was completely overrun with tourists, it was amazing to experience such an authentic Christmas market and try lots of traditional regional food. 

University in France

I was surprised at how different university is in France compared to the UK! The teaching style was very different, with more of a focus on exams, memorising, and presentations, and much less on essays, academic reading, referencing etc. The social side was also very different – the university accommodation isn’t really seen as a sociable place like it is in the UK, and there are no student societies, so meeting people through uni is a lot harder. This really made me realise how lucky we are in UK unis with how much there is on offer! That said, I did really enjoy my classes on the whole, I took some interesting ones including interpreting, translation between French and German (definitely a challenge!), public speaking, and lots of FLE (French as a foreign language). I definitely found the university a bit less academically challenging than Southampton, but that was honestly not a bad thing considering everything was in a second language!

Social life

I really enjoyed getting involved with ESN (Erasmus student network) events and meeting other international students from all around the world, it’s one of the most special things about living abroad. My favourite ESN event was a weekend away in a chalet in the nearby mountain range The Vosges, spending most the time playing games and chatting about cultural differences. Also, I found language speaking partners which was a great way of meeting French students while also practising my speaking skills. I also got involved with a French church, and several other groups in the city which really enriched my experience. 

Travel

As someone who loves travelling I definitely made the most of the opportunity to travel a lot, and I’d recommend anyone else to do the same! With Strasbourg’s great location near the borders of several European countries, I was able to visit various places in Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland. Highlights include climbing a mountain in the Swiss Alps and eating Black Forest gateau in the Black Forest!! I also enjoyed exploring the local region of Alsace, including nearby villages and towns, and lakes and mountains. At the end of the year I took a trip to south of France around Nice, and then to Paris, and it was great to visit other places in France that are very different to Strasbourg as well as celebrate finishing the year!

Feelings

I enjoyed my first two years in Southampton so much that I was quite anxious about going on my year abroad. I found the living situation quite difficult to adjust to, going from living with my friends in a student house to living alone in a pretty unsociable student accommodation. However, it got easier over the course of the year and in hindsight it was very good for me to learn to live so independently.

Living abroad is definitely not always easy, and it forces you to step outside your comfort zone nearly every day, but it is such a great experience that gives you a new perspective on many things, including identity, your own country, and other cultures. I would recommend it to anyone!!

Overall, I am so grateful for my year abroad, I have met some lovely people from around the world, travelled to so many cool places, and developed so much both as a person and in my language skills.