Oh la la!
- You’ll speak English
This was a point of huge frustration with me during my time in France due to the fact that I was there with the intention of seriously improving my foreign language skills. I’d imagined that I’d pop over to France for 6 months and by the time I’d returned I’d be a fluent French speaker. Boy, could have I been more wrong? Turns out most people, be they other international students or French natives, speak English (however limited it may be.) I found myself slipping into a zone of comfort and speaking English (and occasionally Franglish) with my exchange friends. I’d often speak English to my French friends too, despite the fact that a majority’s English was significantly worse than my French. They’d insist on practicing their high school learnt language with me, even after I’d insist on speaking French. I’d often find myself speaking broken French to them while they spoke broken English back. And yes, while this was a benefit to my oral expression it wasn’t so great for my greatest weakness: oral comprehension. I found it was easiest to just roll with whatever was happening. It was important to make an effort to speak French, but it was ok that I didn’t do it constantly. Besides I wasn’t just on exchange for language, but also for the cultural and social experience.
- You’ll get fat
Seems pretty obvious right? I mean, come on, you’re living in a country that should basically be called “Pastryland feat. Cheese.” But when you leave for an exchange program, wide-eyed and naïve, you’re bound to have a few unrealistic expectations. I, for one, decided that I was going to maintain my fitness and eat an amazingly balanced diet. In total I ran a total of three times and ate what probably amounted to 10 000 croissants. My advice: don’t stress about it! While it’s probably not the best idea to eat 10 éclairs everyday, it’s ok to let yourself go during exchange and just have fun. You’ll find that most social events involve eating and/or drinking, so don’t hole yourself up in your room with an apple and a lone lettuce leaf. Go out there and have fun! Meet people! Get fat together. Soon enough you’ll be back home where there’ll be plenty of time to eat celery.
How could you NOT get fat with this sort of thing staring you in the face everyday
- You’ll miss home
Most people experience homesickness differently. It took me 3 months before I missed the homeland, before that I couldn’t imagine wanting to ever go back home. In my experience, you’ll feel homesick during the times that are the shittiest. When you have to make a doctor’s appointment in French you’ll just wish your Mum was there to do it for you. When you have nobody to do anything with you’ll wish your mates where just a 10 minute drive away. When it’s the 3rd week in a row of crummy weather you’ll long to be back on Aussie soil. It’s important to remember that this will pass and the next Erasmus event will roll around and you’ll be back to being as happy as Larry. Before you leave bring some things with you to remind you of home when you do feel rubbish though: photos of friends and family, candles that you burn at home, comfort food from the local supermarket, your childhood teddy. Plus with this fancy new thing called the Internet your close ones are just a video call away!
Keep photos of your friends and family from home to keep homesickness at bay
- You won’t miss home
Exchange is like another life. You most likely won’t have anyone from your home with you; which makes home feel like a whole other world away. You’ll find yourself in a new routine with new friends doing new and exciting things. Sometimes you’ll find yourself calling your new city “home” and it’ll completely weird you out.
At the local soccer game with Margo and Ana
- You’ll appreciate your home university
Oh lordy, I’ve missed Australian uni. Pre-France Tash would have laughed reading this but I’m Post-France Tash now and I am much, much wiser. Now I’m not saying there aren’t problems with Australian tertiary education, but by golly is it worlds apart from French University. I won’t go into the details here but basically in France everyone has the right to receive a tertiary education so long as they pass their final year in high school. Not only this but the universities are government funded which means students barely pay any fees. Sounds pretty great right? Well yea except for the fact that the universities aren’t exactly rich and due to the fact that there isn’t much of a selection process for students entering university, there is a high drop out rate. Something tells me I’ll be using more of my university’s facilities this semester! Especially because I’m paying so much for them!
- You’ll feel like you have no personality
Hey remember when you had a great command of language and you could be funny and have interesting conversations and the like? Well essentially you’ll be stripped of these skills, pushed into the local life trembling and naked and then you’ll have to attempt to make friends. Good luck buddy. Seriously the amount of times I was at a soirée surrounded by French speakers and felt like I had no personality was countless. It’s scary trying to speak French in a small group, but when you’re at a party and French is flying everywhere it’s truly terrifying. By the time you think of something to say the conversation would have moved on to something completely different. I’d have to tell people that, yes, I have a personality I swear and in actual fact I can be funny (Shh, don’t tell, they bought it!) But don’t be discouraged. Keep at it and eventually your French will improve and you’ll be chatting away like the rest of them (except with a silly foreign accent.)
So much French!
- The French love paperwork
I now see why there is so much paperwork pre-exchange. I’ve come to the conclusion that our home universities are preparing us for France’s love of bureaucracy. Make sure you bring a good supply of pens and sharpen all of your pencils because, boy, do the French have a lot of forms. But hey! At least it keeps people employed: someone has to file all of this paperwork obviously!
- French Keyboards suck
Who decides it’s a good idea to have to press shift every time you want to make a full stop? And for goodness sake put the A back where it belongs or so help me god!
- You won’t be having the time of your life the whole time
Leaving for exchange many people will tell you that you’re going to have the time of your life. This isn’t completely true. Yes, this is an unforgettable experience but there will be moments that are forgettable. There will be days when just run errands or stay holed up in your room. The important thing to remember is that it’s ok to do nothing some days. There were moments in the middle of my 14th consecutive episode of some television series from 2008 where I would stop and think, “What am I doing? I’m in France! I should be drinking wine with my very sophisticated French friends that I haven’t made quite yet!” But trust me days to yourself can be just as important, you won’t last an entire semester if you’re on the go all of the time. But maybe get out of your dark room and take a walk in a park every now and then during those “Me-Days.”
You won’t be doing things like this everyday but appreciate it when you do!
- You’ll have the greatest time
When it’s all said and done and you’re back on home turf you’ll look back on this experience and smile. Despite all of the challenges and cultural differences you’ll make lifelong friends and have an experience of a lifetime.
Amigos!
Erasmus Tipsy Tuesdays at Gros Bar!
Natasha Sofia 