Why to choose Small European City for Student Exchange?
I saw an article today on internet. The article intrigued me because it said Paris is not the most preferred city for International Students for studies in France.
Partially I new why they wrote the article but still I went to read the whole article and to my shock Paris was not in even top 10 cities.
Here are the cities preferred by International students in France:
1. Grenoble
2. Toulouse
3. Montpellier
4. Nantes
5. Aix-En-Provence
6. Bordeaux
7. Lyon
8. Rennes
9. Lille
10. Nice
Now the question is why Paris, paradise for lovers, ultimate city for art lover, fashion panache is missing in the list. I guess I know the answer, not from any research but from my personal experience from my own student exchange in Dijon, again a small city.
Let me put some points to put some weight to my belief.
1. Smaller the city, more friendly people are: Yes it is true. France is known for rich culture and proud language. But it is also true that this is limited to big urban city. People in smaller cities are humble and nice. They have time to help you even of they do not much English.
Here is what I experienced on my first day to school. I was lost at a small square known as Place Darcy in Dijon. I could not find the direction and the bus route to my School so I asked this lady. This generous lady tried to help me but when all failed she asked me to come along and waited for 5 minutes at the Bus Stop for right bus and helped me get in. It was a pleasant scene as she seemed to be busy but took time to help me.
2. Smaller the city, more pocket friendly: Yes, this is the biggest factor for students. Where can you get student accommodation for 200 Euros in France, free club entry, food under 5 Euros, cheap pubs etc. Life in Smaller cities is much pocket friendly than any big city.
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3. Easy to travel in City: Dijon was so small that we could travel from one end to other in just one hour. There is another fun travelling without any eyes watching you, people around you etc. We could go to the lake Kir in Dijon (on the extreme end) like every weekend because it was more convenient. Transportation is quite easy.
4. Better student life: With around 33% of the city population students, Dijon had great student life. This is same in many other cities in France and Europe. There were many places to eat, drink, hang out, sit, talk etc exclusively for students.
5. Safety: Where can you walk with your female friends at 4 am in night without any fear. You meet fellow students on road and they offer you drink, you take a sip and again follow your path. This is life after midnight in these cities. Never miss them
So guys and girls do pack your bag for exciting student exchange, but choose a small city if you really want to enjoy it. You can still travel to big cities for weekends but do not choose big cities. And If you are non-European student then I would say choose European city for student exchange. No country can provide you such vibrant culture and options as Europe as whole can.
Happy Exchange :)
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