My Exchange at Jean Moulin – Lyon 3 University
Writing this report makes me feel so nostalgic already; the memories come flooding back and it feels so bittersweet knowing I am no longer in France with all the friends I had made whilst on the exchange. Going on this exchange had been a dream of mine since I was in year 9 at high school and the four months I spent from January-April 2024 had lived up to my expectations and more. To be honest, it didn’t really hit me that I was going on exchange until my flight had arrived in France and the first people I saw was a group of police officers carrying rifles in their hands which was already a culture shock! Regardless, I was so excited for the time I was about to spend and for the adventures I would soon experience and reflecting on it, the exchange programme was so amazing. I never not think about it throughout my day to day life back in New Zealand. The university was so small and tight-knit in comparison to the University of Auckland which was a huge change because it felt like I was studying at a high school rather than a university – that’s how small the campus was!
The hardest obstacle to tackle had to be the collation of all the documents needed for the visa, accommodation and university. Thankfully, I ensured that I was aware of what was required and the due dates. It was a lot of work at the time but most definitely worth it to prevent any mishaps my peers had unfortunately encountered.
Additionally, Lyon 3 did not have their own student housing options however this is definitely something not to be disheartened about! There are plenty of CROUS residences in which my classmates and I stayed at; such as mine being “Les Girondins”. This was a really great experience too because rent was charged monthly rather than weekly like it is in Auckland. I lived in a flat of 6 people which included a French student, Belgian student, an Italian student, myself and surprisingly two other kiwis! Although that sounds overwhelming and insane, it was such a fun experience living with people coming from different backgrounds. I definitely miss my flat mates a lot! It was super important to put yourself out in different environments to make the most of every opportunity – I truly loved my time in Lyon, France and would not trade anything for the memories I made there!
Q&A
What were some of the highlights of the academic experience at your host university?
It was so much fun being in classes with students from across the world; ERASMUS students from Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia…It was truly beautiful being able to meet so many people from different ends of the earth and hear their life stories before reaching this point together. From having kebabs and paninis for lunch, to travelling on trains to different neighbouring countries, and speaking in French 24/7 – the entire experience is truly unreal thinking about it. My jaw drops realising how insane it truly was meeting these people and instantly forming friendships. We had only just met and yet we were already in the midst of planning trips, booking hostels and studying in a French university altogether.
Would you recommend any particular activity/activities unique to your host country or university?
Lyon in particular had an event called the ERASMUS Meet & Speak every Thursday night (you can definitely find this if you search it up!) which was an awesome opportunity to meet other exchange students from different schools/universities and engage with the locals as well! They usually had themes to these events and fun games as well!
Visit Parc de la tête d’or too especially if you will be there for the warmer seasons!
What are your top 3 tips for future students attending your host university or going on exchange to your host country?
- Take advantage of the unlimited travel with the TCL card and visit as much of Lyon as you can! I wish I did more sightseeing within the city!
- For Jean Moulin Lyon 3, take advantage of being able to attend classes and getting a gist of what each course is so you know you will enjoy the courses you take during your exchange!
- Don’t be afraid of putting yourself out there in the first couple of days/weeks, this is super important for creating connections and feeling more at home in a place away from home. This makes adjusting a lot easier
How much did you budget for your exchange? Was this enough? Were there any lessons learned that would help future students budget for their own exchange?
I think it’s really important that you are saving money leading up to the exchange and making wise decisions because essentially a coffee in NZ could be a real nice one over on exchange! Apply for study link allowance/loans whilst on exchange – this was really helpful for me to pay for weekly expenses on top of what I had. It was only just enough because halfway through I had to ask my family for help because I wanted to also take advantage of being able to travel on the side! Definitely save as much as you can if possible.
What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?
Whilst overseas, I truly learnt how important it is to cherish the friendships and connections you have that put effort in for you! Whilst on exchange, some friends back home made efforts to stay in touch and this was so valuable and important to me in not feeling homesick as well as understanding what bonds in my life are longlasting.
I realised how amazing it is to be able to
be independent. It is scary having to board planes, navigate a whole new
environment and speak a foreign language 24/7 by yourself but honestly, these
are only fears if you make it out to be scary. It’s not as bad as it looks and
I definitely increased my self confidence and assurance during my time abroad!
Do you want to share anything about travels you did outside your host city/country?
It was a blessing only having classes from Monday-Thursday which meant I had Friday-Sunday for travel! When possible I was able to travel to places like Italy, Spain, Denmark, Copenhagen and England and wow that was amazing! Also, knowing people within those countries was so helpful being able to travel with them as well as stay at accommodation with people I knew and was comfortable with. So amazing!!