MiniTips - Preparation
From the MiniTipMonday series on preparing for your stay in France. These tips are compiled from the France Alumni members of 2019 from South Africa.
The France Alumni members from the year 2019/2020 were asked to give their responses to the following:
• 1 item to remember to bring with
• 1 item to leave behind
• 1 piece of advice
This is what they had to say...
1 of 9
1 item to bring: a conversion plug for your laptop if you have a non Apple laptop, so you can use the French plugs. They are available at Fnac stores in France once you arrive, but it’s nicer when you arrive and don’t have the pressure of going to try and find one quickly😋
1 item to leave behind: I’d say don’t take too many shoes 😂 similarly to what you mentioned about warm clothes, it took so much space in my bag, and I didn’t realize I would be able to buy shoes for relatively little € once I arrived.
Piece of advice: try to find a Lidl near you for your grocery shopping (in Paris they are a little less common, but they are there!). You can really save so much money that way, because groceries stressed me out in the beginning 😂
2 of 9
One thing to bring with: A power adaptor
One thing to leave behind: Winter footwear.
One piece of advice: Learn some French beforehand and embrace the experience. It will require a transition in the beginning but the amazing, life-changing experience will be worth it. Enjoy!
3 of 9
Bring: an adaptor plug for your laptop! Patience for the French bureaucracy 😂
Mrs Balls Chutney x2 😢
lined notebooks as the ones here have those tiny squares
Leave behind: all the romantic notions of France, impatient attitudes
Advice: enjoy this journey you’re about to start and try everything out. Please take good care of your passport and make sure to go to the SA embassy to make a copy of it.
4 of 9
I don't have anything much to offer in terms of items to take with or leave behind, except for bringing your full self with no preconceived views of the French. Clean slate, start afresh.
1 piece of advice
Make an effort to learn French, embrace the language (forget how difficult or complex it may get), just allow yourself to learn, make mistakes and keep on improving... it helps a lot with the séjour.
I know people who never opened up to the language, and that added more challenges to their stay in France.
Courage à tout le monde ✊
5 of 9
1. One Item to Remember
Your unabridged birth certificate. Necessary to enable completion of your housing allowance.
2. One Item to leave behind
Any personal item that will deter you from fully experiencing France and Europe in its entirety.
3. A Piece of Advice
Try to improve your French as much as possible, preferably daily. It will help improve your experience tremendously. However, don't be shy to submerse into the French culture because of the language barrier.
6 of 9
1 item to bring – Mrs Balls chutney :’D Also a bottle of Amarula/ some kind of local alcohol or packageable food – this is great for sharing with international friends and exposing them to a little taste of South Africa.
1 item to leave – ladies: your highheels!!! Also, any winter jacket that you can buy in SA (even those top brands) should be left at home.
1 piece of advice – Contact your Crous as soon as you have confirmation from them and ask what is provided in the rooms and what isn’t (bedding, cutlery and crockery, etc.). I was under the impression that I could “rent” this from my Crous, because I had read it somewhere, and arrived only to find out that I couldn’t...
7 of 9
I think people have probably covered what to bring and what not to bring, but in my experience: comfortable shoes are a must!! And don't bring too many warm clothes - you would think its so much colder that side, but the truth is: the buildings are so much better rigged for the weather that you actually wear less clothes, you literally just throw on a coat for the run between the stations and where you want to go.
And then I would definitely advise them to learn as much French as possible before they go! Even though people were really accommodating and helped where they could, you miss out on SO much if you don't speak the language. It's not that you won't be able to survive or cope if you don't speak French, but you will definitely have a much richer cultural, true French experience if you at least have the basics. Apart from this, the administration is easier and you'll have so many more opportunities, academically, socially, during job/ internship hunts - it just simplifies things. I'm not talking fluent French, just basics.
8 of 9
1 item to bring - bring your documents and have copies of your documents since they love paperwork in France. When you first get there you may not know where to copy/print stuff so it's better to already have a few copies on hand. You will be well acquainted with your local post office.
1 item to leave behind - non-practical shoes (sandals, pumps, heels etc.). There's a lot more walking around in the city (watch out for cobbled roads) and I found myself only wearing takkies and my very comfortable shoes with good support. You might also encounter some public transport strikes which means more walking as well, so if you use insoles or other arch supports make sure you bring the right footgear.
1 piece of advice - be prepared to be very patient. Things move slowly. I was ready to sort out everything in the first couple of weeks but these things will take a lot of time to process. Just get some baguettes and go sight-seeing before your coursework gets rough ;)
9 of 9
1 item to remember to bring with
If your laptop or any device uses a 3 prong adapter, bring a plug adapter with you. I did manage to find an adapter for my laptop while in France, but it was after my battery had already died.
1 item to leave behind
-Winter coats.
-Check if you need your own bedding. In the end I did not use my bedding because my CROUS provided it for me (for an extra 10euro a month).
1 piece of advice
Learn and practice French. It will help you feel more integrated and independent while here.
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