Hi, I’m Fletcher, and I‘m currently on a year abroad at the Université de Strasbourg, studying third-year Molecular Cell Biology in French. Having lived in Strasbourg for just over three months, it is the perfect time to share my first impressions and how I settled in.
Settling in
Moving to Strasbourg in September was both a daunting and exciting experience. It was the first time in my life I had to communicate in French on a daily basis. While I have studied French for a long time, it was a great learning experience. For example, opening a bank account, getting a haircut, and studying in French have greatly improved my communication skills. However, figuring out how to register with the University, validate my VISA, get medical insurance, and apply for assistance with my rent was a bit trickier.
One amazing experience was the International Student Welcome Day, which took place at the European Parliament. This was a brilliant opportunity to meet many fellow exchange students from around the world, including people from the UK! A highlight was touring the Louise Weiss building, including the Hemicycle where EU laws are debated.
Life in Strasbourg
Despite the long days studying, I have spent a lot of time exploring Strasbourg, which is a beautiful city in Alsace. The city has a rich and eventful history, and you certainly feel this when walking through Strasbourg’s streets. At 142 metres tall, the city’s gothic cathedral is incredibly impressive and can be seen from miles around. Another thing I love about Strasbourg is the blend of modern and old. With the contemporary buildings of the European quarter contrasting with the late 19th century German architecture of the Neustadt.
The Université de Strasbourg is well-known to welcome international students, with about 20% of its 55,000 students coming from abroad. As such, I have felt incredibly welcome here by the University and the Faculté des Sciences de la Vie. I’ve also met a diverse range of people from around the world.
Food and culture
One thing I have loved on my year abroad is trying is Alsatian cuisine. My favourite dishes are flammekueche, or tarte flambée. Other great foods include baeckeoffe, spaetzle, choucroute, and Munster cheese. Another amazing aspect of student life here is eating at one of the CROUS restaurants on campus. You can currently get a three course meal for only 3,30€, and the dishes are surprisingly varied! One novelty of living on the border with Germany is that some of the closest and cheapest supermarkets to me are across the border. So I take a tram across the Rhine to Kehl for my weekly shop.
University life in Strasbourg
Before arriving in Strasbourg, I had read about the differences between the French and British University systems. But I wasn’t quite prepared for just how intense studies are here. In my second year in York I usually had a maximum of 10-12 hours of classes per week, whereas in Strasbourg I have a minimum of 18 hours of classes per week.
In addition, last week I had an extra 20 hours of labs, meaning I had 38 hours of classes in a week! On top of this, while in York I would have one or two big online exams per semester. In Strasbourg I have averaged more than one in-person exams per week.
These exams have been a mixture of multiple choice exams, written exams and practical exams. It was initially a struggle adapting to this, as I have to juggle revision with studying for all my other modules. However, because this year is an additional year to my York degree, it does not contribute to my degree classification, which certainly relieves the pressure of assessments.
Nevertheless, I have thoroughly enjoyed studying a range of topics in Molecular Cell Biology. I had to take nine modules to achieve the 30 ECTS (credits) needed to pass this semester, including modules in plant pathology, the conformations and structures of macromolecules, genomics, and enzymology.
One particular highlight has been a module consisting of talks given by scientists from across Europe about their research. Thanks to which I have been exposed to fascinating research in crystallography, mRNA vaccines, AI, and endocytosis to name a few. I have also taken the opportunity to improve my German skills through a free extracurricular course!
Travelling
Given Strasbourg’s location in the heart of Europe, it is a perfect staging area for day trips! So far, I have visited Paris, Colmar, Freiburg im Breisgau, Luxembourg City, and Basel. Being able to take trips to completely new countries has been an exciting experience, and I have loved being exposed to new languages and cultures.
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