Preparing for my Year Abroad – Samantha Woolley

In all honesty, having ( what I perceived as) a year-long Holiday was a big motivator for my degree choice. A year amongst the French sounded ideal to me. Soaking it up in the sun having baguettes and French cheese. However, this seemingly idyllic image in my head of just popping over to France for a year was quickly shattered during my first year abroad meeting. Slides upon slides of documents, insurances and other things I needed to do seemed so overwhelming at first I wanted to give up. Not to mention all the obstacles I hit when trying to sort everything out.

So to hopefully guide anyone who stumbled across this I thought it would be best to lay out the process for me:

Firstly:

Make sure your passport is up to date. As someone who does not frequently use their passport it came as a shock to me how soon it expired, so had to delay the rest of the process waiting for my Passport.

Next:

Sort out your learning agreement or working agreement, better to get it out of the way and to dedicate some time to researching how credits work at your university abroad or what is needed for your working agreement.

The nitty gritty stuff comes next:

Apply for your GHIC card ( health card), visit your doctors and sort out letters to be written about any medical conditions you have, your immunisations and book an appointment just before you leave to receive enough medication ( which you should put in your big suitcase to avoid any awkward conversations with the airport workers). You should probably do this while waiting for your University to email you back about whether you are accepted, because from there on you need to apply for accommodation and fill out your etudes en France (EEF).

Insurance, EEF and Visa:

This section was where I found the most obstacles; Mainly because I spent way too much time filling out the wrong study form only to realise a few weeks into it that I needed to fill out a form of someone already accepted into a French University. ( Not one of my proudest moments, though in my defence I found the site very confusing). This step is essential if you are applying for a Visa as it is the first thing they asked from me when I entered the Visa office. My main advice for this process however is to print and photocopy EVERYTHING. They will need to see the original of a lot of forms but will also need to have a copy of it to send off. And finally insurance; fairly self explanatory but essentially I would recommend getting housing insurance and civil liability insurance in a package as it is much cheaper and simpler – no need to pay for any travel cover as the university covers that for you. ( love Cardiff for that). Insurance is something  your accommodation particularity a university accommodation like CROUS will ask for.

Packing:

I would recommend bringing a family member to use their luggage allowance ( and also so you don’t have to carry as much – sorry dad). In general though when it comes to packing it all depends on what you think is necessary for you. Some essentials i brought were:

a multi charger

Any common medicines you think you might need, as they are cheaper at home

All documents in a secure folder

Fairy Lights – They make a house a home

Check the forecast before hand to plan your clothes – I would recommend dressing in layers

Try to pack light, or bring someone strong with you. But in the end remember you will have to bring it back

Finance and Communications:

Having a bank account with an international IBAN makes receiving money much easier if you need to. However the first thing I did when I arrived in France was to buy a French Sim – this is essential for  signing up to many French services ( Including a bank account). I picked up a LEBARA mobile SIM in a random corner shop (TABAC), just make sure you register it within 5 days and that you buy it in France ( so you have a French telephone number).

When it came to budgeting i found the best thing i did before moving to France was to transfer my loan into a secondary account. This helped me in resisting the temptation of feeling invincible with my loan before i even got into the country. Remember that although you will be receiving a bursary, random expenses can easily pop up, so don’t spend above your means and make sure you have a fund put aside just in case.

Travel:

I think this really depends on where you are going and what you prefer. As someone who was going to the middle of France, though daunting at first, flying to Paris and getting a train down was the best decision. Cheaper and much less painful than a 13 hour car drive. If you are thinking of doing this I would really recommend breaking up the trip, not only because of delays but also exhaustion. The whole move can be very stressful.

And finally the positive aspect to the year abroad ( I promise there are many despite the beginning of this post). When I arrived at Clermont Ferrand i made sure to have a positive attitude. The one  thing i kept hearing from teachers and students alike was that the year abroad is what you make it, and although Clermont was not my first choice i wouldn’t have had it any other way.

When picking my Universities i had 3 things on my mind: cost, support and environment. Knowing my personality i knew a big city such as Paris would be too overwhelming for me and in terms of cost and the support available from the university, Clermont was one of those universities that fit me. Though i was initially put off by the distance the support offered by the university is unmatched in my opinion. As a student who needed arrangements for Exams and Classes Clermont was so understanding and supportive towards me. I would recommend it to any student nervous about the year abroad or in need of certain arrangements.

And then finally you get to relax ( partially), enjoy the French food and nice weather and have the most life changing year of your life. Though I’m making this post shortly after i arrive i already know this year is going to be one of a kind. Bonne Chance!