Hi, my names Emilie and I’ve just completed my 3rd year studying French and Business alongside just completing my year abroad in Toulouse, France. Now I’ve completed the experience, I’m going to share some of the things I’ve learnt over the last 9 months and share some insights and tips, including regarding travel, school, and nightlife.
School
Over the last year I took 2 modules each semester, so 4 overall. In first semester I took a French class and a business class. Taking a business class in France was super interesting, as the two subjects had never intersected before in my degree; I had the opportunity to learn business terms in French. However studying in another country can also bring challenges and shed light on how different education systems are in other countries. In particular this business class was rather difficult because there were no online notes, it was all orally spoken which I found difficult considering I was not familiar with a lot of the business vocab. It was a great opportunity to try something new, especially not having to worry to much passing a class. In second semester I tried to branch out and take a history class which was super interesting but ended up having to drop it because of lack of credits. Another point I’d like to make is that classes were a great opportunity to meet other people. Some of my closest friends I met were in my French classes. Also it’s a great opportunity to meet a range of people of different nationalities, a big difference from the classes in Southampton where majority of people are British. Taking French classes is also a chance to make friends with French natives, a good way to improve language skills. However, be warned that classes can be 2,3 or even 4 hours long and start as early as 8 am. Unfortunately I had a lot of these types of classes, but at least I got to see some cool sunrises.
Nightlife
In Toulouse, the Erasmus society called ESN is the main organiser of student events. This can include club nights, day trips, international trips and dinners. My personal favourite event was the flat party. This was hosted by a volunteer and consisted of about 15 people and unlimited alcohol for 8 euros. I found this was a great way to meet new people, both French and international. My favourite nights out looking back definitely include the 3 of these I went to.
In terms of clubs, Toulouse has a fair amount my favourites being Downtown Factory and O club. Another favourite of mine was Cafe Pop, which is best described as the Toulousian version of Jesters. In France, I found the nightlife personally was not as great as back home and I couldn’t hack late nights, considering how much later clubs are open. I preferred the bars, some of which did turn into clubs later in the night. My favourite bars included Pub St Pierre which offered a happy hour of 2 glasses of wine for 3 euros and Tito Mojito which offered mojitos for less than 5 euros. Theres are a couple bars around place St George, a hidden square in Toulouse, which I loved going to in the evening. Another must do in Toulouse is to drink on the steps of the river in place st Pierre.
Travel
In France I had the chance to discover the beautiful region of Occitane. I travelled to Albi, Carcassone, Cordes sur ceil, Narbonne and Castres. I also took a day trip to Bordeaux. Every first weekend of the month there are 1 euro train tickets which was great. I also travelled to different countries, including Malta, Portugal and Spain. Have a flexible timetable in second semester with only 2 classes a week, I managed to get some great off peak deals. I developed an addiction to Skyscanner and took flights for as little as £30. This travelled included travelling with new friends, old friends from back home and also going to visit friends I met first semester who were only there for one semester. Not to mention having friends come to visit me in Toulouse was lovely. Not to mention it’s also important to go home. My trips home were ultimately my favourite.
I’ll finish off this blog with some personal recommendations. Food wise, you can get some amazing French food for good prices, my favourite restaurant being La Braisiere. L’entrecote is another must do in Toulouse. Another food discovery I made in Toulouse was French Tacos, which is a stable in French kebab shops. Definitely visit the inside of the iconic town hall and the Couvent de Jacobins is really cool to look around. The restaurant at the top of Galeries Lafayette has a great view of Toulouse, but if you want a cheaper alternative, Carmes car park is great.
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and to anyone considering Toulouse as a year abroad, I would 100% recommend!