Bordeaux University

General Discussion
1

Hi there, Looking for some advice and help. Our daughter is 21 and currently studying International Business and Languages at University in Manchester. She's in her 2nd year of a 4 year course.


Her 3rd year, which Starts in September 2014, has to be spent in France (as her main language is French) She has got a place at Bordeaux University for the year.


My Question; Accommodation!!


She has been told that the student halls are terrible, a girl she talked to told her that she lived in a hotel for the year as she couldn't stay in the halls, another paid 500 euro's a month for private rent.


Can anyone suggest the best way of finding decent accommodation?


Does anyone have a child already at the University, a contact would be nice in a sea full of strangers?


Or maybe a child starting at the University this year?


We have never visited Bordeaux and don't know the area at all.


Thanks in advance.


2

Thanks so much for that Heather. Thanks everyone for your helpful information, i've passed it all on to my daughter.

Pam

3

By chance I got the standard CAF email this morning and in it there's a section about Aide de Logement for foreign students. There's a link that leads here:

http://www.viesdefamille.fr/etudiant-etranger-puis-je-beneficier-des-aides-de-la-caf

which may be helpful too

4

Victoria is right, link here

http://www.crous-bordeaux.fr/international/

The links on the left explain how to go about applying.

5

Can I repeat - as I know this from experience - that students, whether boursiers or not, who come from far away are also given priority and there is special provision for students from abroad. My daughter's residence was full of foreign students. Good idea to get in there early though.

6

Thanks for this information Heather, really good. I will definitely keep your details to contact you nearer the time.

7

Thanks Catharine, it's nice to know that i can put her in contact with some people, she has been in the UK at colllege and uni so this will be her first venture to a foreign county apart from holidays and staying with us in school holidays. She's a little apprehensive to say the least.

8

My step-son David is just finishing his 3rd year at Bordeaux. I will ask him tonight if he has any information on the student halls. For two years he commuted between home and uni, a hour each way by car. This year, however, he has been living with his girl friend in a flat.

I do know that you have to apply for halls very early, like now, but I will try and get more info. I am sending you a friend request, so that if David agrees I can send you his email address.

9

Hello, I would say www.leboncoin.fr is my first port of call when searching for accomodation in an area outside my home area...it's rather like gumtree.

Once you've sifted out the expensive commercial estate agents, there are some very fair-priced ones and lots of individual landlords renting accommodation of every variety.

also, what about posting your discussion to the Bordeaux area group?

10

Hello Pam,

I wouldn't discount CROUS (Uni) accommodation just yet..

If you are able to get a room or studio in a block that has been renovated, I doubt you'll find better than that. My son started in September, has a crous studio within walking distance of the fac, the cantine, the library etc. It's a reasonable size, has it's own shower room/loo and kitchenette, a bed, wardrobe, desk, table and two chairs. He moved in just after the renovation and everything was brand new. The only things we bought extra were a shelf unit and kitchen/dining stuff and linen. It's 280 euros /month all in (I think he pays a bit extra for internet). He just loves it, he's going to apply to keep his room next year. Another son is starting in September and is going to apply for a similar room.

Details here:

http://www.crous-bordeaux.fr/logements/logements-proposes/

and if you zoom in on this map here you can get details about each individual residence:

http://www.crous-bordeaux.fr/logements/carte-des-logement/

Put me on your list of contacts too and when you daughter gets there I can put her in touch with my sons if she likes?

Good luck with your search,

Heather

11

it's true that the university accom can be pretty grim, my daughter was at Bordeaux IV for two years and roughing it a bit didn't do her any harm at all. If the worst thing that happens to you in life is sharing showers and lavatories with people who don't always clean up after themselves (they weren't constantly dirty and there are cleaners) then you can count yourself very lucky. The advantage of the univesity accomodation is that the foreign students get to meet other students in the communal kitchens - my daughter made friends from all over Europe that way, meeting people other than your classmates can be a bit difficult in French universities as they don't tend to have social gatherings in the way English ones do.

University accom is also cheap and priority is given to students from a long way away.

12

Hi Pam

Count us in too as contacts - our eldest will be in her second year there next year and poss looking for a flat share too.

13

Hi Lisa, I’ve sent you a friend request so we can exchange email, I’ve been on here a while but I’m not brilliant at negotiating the site.
It says once you accept my friend request that I can then send you a private message. Pam xx