Université Paul Sabatier, 2011

The application was submitted to the Department of International Affairs at FH Aachen; the application deadline for a stay in the summer semester is in October of the previous year. In Toulouse, you first go to the Rélations internationales directly at the main entrance of the Université Paul Sabatier. The entire enrolment procedure will be explained to you there and you will receive your certificate of arrival. As a mechanical engineer, you must also go to the coordinator, Mr Baleynaud; if you want to make any changes to your Learning Agreement on site, he is also responsible for this.

It is quite easy to get a room in a hall of residence in Toulouse. You have to apply directly to CROUS Toulouse, the student union in Toulouse. I was sent the relevant form by the AAA at FH Aachen; after completing it, the AAA staff forwarded the form to CROUS Toulouse. I was accommodated in the Estudiantines hall of residence in Tripode A (there are buildings A, B and C) in a chambre renové (the unrenovated rooms usually don't have their own bathroom or kitchen). On nine square metres, you have a fully furnished room with a kitchenette (fridge, sink, 2-ring hob) and mini bathroom (shower, washbasin, WC) as well as a bed that can be raised and lowered electrically. It is located above the desk so that you have more freedom of movement in the room when the bed is raised. The hall of residence is located directly on the campus of the Université Paul Sabatier just outside Toulouse, but is easily accessible by metro line B (Université Paul Sabatier and Faculté de Pharmacie).
After arriving in Toulouse, you go to the secretariat of the hall of residence, which is located on the ground floor. You will receive your room key there. The rent in the Tripode is around 220 euros, but every Erasmus student has the opportunity to apply for CAF. This is a rent subsidy from the French state that does not have to be paid back. In my case, the amount of the subsidy was 80 euros; in general, the subsidy is around a third of the rent. To apply, you need your German national insurance number, a copy of your birth certificate, a copy of your ID and student card and a French bank account. The application for CAF is completed on the PC in the secretariat on the ground floor of the Tripod, the staff will also help you with this.

First of all, anyone studying at the Université Paul Sabatier will have to lower their expectations in terms of comfort, facilities and organisation. Some of the lecture halls and the buildings in general are in very poor condition, not to say desolate. Frontal teaching is much more widespread in France than in Germany; if you have to take notes, it can be a bit problematic, especially at the beginning, if you don't yet have much language practice in French. You can get a printed course catalogue from the mechanical engineering office in building U1 on campus. During my semester abroad, I took Fatigues des materiaux et assamblages, Rupture des structures, Échanges thermiques, Conception des structures, Théorie des structures aérospatiales and Langue vivante (English). The written examinations were all written at the end of the semester. In some subjects there are also short exams in between. None of the courses I took were recognised at FH Aachen, but it was still an interesting experience to write written examinations in French.

Toulouse has something for everyone, from culture and sport to an extremely favourable geographical location in the south of France! All culinary delights are catered for in the Victor Hugo market halls, and the daily market on Boulevard de Strasbourg is also excellent, especially for fruit and vegetables! The university's sports programme is very varied and extremely affordable. For very little money, you can go surfing, rowing on the Garonne or go on guided hikes in the Pyrenees. Ski courses and snowshoe hikes are also on offer until around the end of March. The sports programme really leaves nothing to be desired! For all those interested in culture, there are museums, concerts and theatres galore, and if you are under 25 years old, you can get a discount almost everywhere. If you want to enjoy a slice of cake in the centre of Toulouse on a Sunday, we highly recommend the Café Flowers or an afternoon in the Jardin des Plantes, which is stormed by the Toulousains at the weekend. If you get tired of city life, the Pyrenees can be reached in around 1-2 hours and the sea is only 200 kilometres away.