La vie à l'université

Bonjour, 
Oui c'été longtemps, mais j'ai beaucoup d'informations pour vous, alors écoutez moi.

So University Life... where to start, um shall I begin with the school and teachers.

The school consists of around 1,500 - 2,000 students nothing like the 20,000 or so students at Camosun, so needless to say the school is very small and yet not everyone knows each other... odd. The location is right in the center of Lyon close to downtown, and it is not a campus it is a small 4 story building right next to shops, apartments and the metro, so when you wish to go outside to enjoy the grassy pleasures of a park and study... no dice!! There is no place, plus to loud from all the cars, the metro, I mean really no place unless you want to sit on the curb.
There is no library to search for a useful text to aid you with your research, no area to sit in a quiet setting to study or do homework, just 2 small tables with room for 4 comfortable right in the middle of the hallway. There are however 'the randomly placed' benches that are made out of metal which are uncomfortably cold all the time, that you may try to sit and study on, but they too are located in the hallways = very quiet, .. ... . ... NOT.
The computer room, no it is not a room it is located in the corner of the building and acts as a 90 degree wide hallway, there are maybe 12 computers, so finding a free computer is like trying to get into Lucky Bar, only happens if you are really early or the last 10 minutes before it closes. They do have 2 computer labs (mac & windows) but those are not accessible to international students... sorry.
Information Desk is located in another building and you usually need to make an appointment but can just walk in and knock on the international departments door. They are really helpful if you need anything, a landlord trying to rip you off, translation of one or all the many documents from the bank, or just need help with your classes, don't hesitate to ask for anything really.

The teachers well they are mostly have or still working in the field at some outstanding French company. The teachers, although they are there to help and educate you, they have this attitude of self-righteousness they project upon their students, if you say, answer a question wrong or do not listen to their lectures. Remember from the last post "the business person" is seen in the French society as the coolest most sought after occupation, and so the teachers are still living these suave business life styles, like a mullet haircut redneck with a Trans-Am, who has not lived a day past high school. = One mental state for life. They always open their classes with slides stating their past work history almost to an extent of showing off. In spit of that finding a helpful teachers is not a mystical quest, just be aware of the preset metal state and blatant down talking.

The classes they consist of 6 or 7 classes throughout the semester of three hours long each. They can be from monday to friday starting at 8.15 to 20.15 at night, yes 12h days if your appetite to learn in another country is fervent. They consist of pure powerpoint slides, .... a few descriptive words. But you are a student,... a sponge to absorb all the information in this contrastive culture, sorry, you want information 'YOU' have to find it, they just provide you with the topic... oh and books only exist if you ask. They are not offered or used like they are bibles as in the Canadian secondary education system, but very important to understand the concepts in the information lacking slides produced by the teachers.

Party nights happen any night you please!!!!! Really you can find anyone to drowned yourself in alcohol, dance to shitty radio techno and watch the time passe as drink prices increase and increase. But the Uni does give most students wednesday off, yes every week you have a one day holiday right in the middle of the week. I don't know if it is a wise decision to have this 'mid-week pause' as most students recover from the weekend on monday and then tuesday they party and are recovering again on thursday, but I'm not complaining. Oh so tuesday night is student party night, there is always parties being organized and every bar has drink specials.

That should be plenty for now, absorb and return next time for more on night life in Lyon.

Le Premier Impression

Hello all you information deprived eager to become exchange students, this is the first post of many on adventures of an erasmus student lost in Lyon (or with the french culture which ever you prefer). I would will tell you this information is like the Pheron's treasure, historic and worth a lot of ching ching today,  it will provide more useful knowledge than say a lonely plant guide (unless the only reason you came to France is the gastronomy). At least I believe it to be useful.

The beginning, Arrival: I was fortunate enough to have lined up a shared accommodation before I arrived with 2 other french students, and I say fortunate because it is utterly impossible to find accommodation in Lyon without knowing someone, THERE ARE 7 DIFFERENT UNIVERSITIES, and everyone has an advantage on you because they come from the not so far land of Switzerland, Germany or even Italy. Oh and the accommodation provided by the university is overpriced and way out of town. My place: its nice, tall ceilings with average size room (North-American standard) and a large kitchen, I have shared a smaller kitchen with 5 others in Victoria, ...... food is important  to the french.

Arrival: not so bad as I had a room already lined up thanks to the world wide web through an amazing website called leboncoin.fr (very useful in many ways). 

Transition: easy Lyon has a better transit system than most Canadian cities, and i can communicate at an advanced french level so no major disadvantages. 

The culture: ... well before I elaborate first I shall start with painting a platform for a reference point. 

French Culture 101

Fashion: This is the utmost important cultural difference, you know those fashion magazine advertisements, from Calvin Klein, Diesel, l'Oreal, G-Star and many others, with models displayed so perfectly dressed....??? .... Those adds are a typical french person you would see walking on the street or taking the tram. Their style is so sleek, clean and elegant at the same time, like they are all models. simply perfect. Oh and the business man style is considered the George Cloony of styles, nothing could be better.

Language: The French are very proud of their language and speak it with a speckle of of pride as if they are speaking with a royal tongue. And they do not slow down, if you can not understand them that is your fault, oh and the websites in French and English, well they are not reciprocal once switched to english, you lose many functions that are only available in french. 

Culture: If you know "laissez-faire" then you know the relaxed style of the french, leisure time is held as a high priority in France. Which gives way to some stereotypes that must be cleared up,  1: Yes everyone in France smokes, why, I don't know because its cool? or because it is a good pass time?, who knows. 2: The Gastronomy, it is simple the best tasting food in the world, thousands of different cheeses, and every region has there version of "saucisson" famous and delicious. We can not forget the french "croissant" or for that matter any of the french pastries, I know what you are thinking ya I have eaten croissants before so what, ..... LISTEN they have been baking these outstanding pastries for centuries and I am not talking about Pillsbury dough boy, these are the real decadent pastries from the motherland.

Alors salut, and absorb that knowledge like little sponges until next time ........ University life in France....