how to enjoy your year abroad?

Not a year in your life but a life in a year

Going abroad for the first time can be intimidating and nerve wracking. We want to make your stay as pleasant as possible and would like to tell you about our experience coming to Valenciennes. On this page, as well as our Blog you will find useful information regarding organisation, things to do during your year and some tips and tricks to help you live your best life in Valenciennes!

Enjoy Valenciennes and its area

The time you’ll spend in France will just seem to fly by.
The right mindset will help you get the most out of your experience of studying abroad.
We have some recommendations to make sure that you can return home with more
knowledge, improved language skills and wonderful stories to tell.

Musée des Beaux-Arts, Museum of Fine Arts in Valenciennes
Hockey Match Night, Valigloo, Valenciennes.
Église Saint-Géry à Valenciennes
Les folies de Binbin 2022 Hosted By Val en liesse. The event starts on Friday, 26 August 2022, and happening at Valenciennes

Tips for international students

Moving away to study is hard, especially when you move to a foreign country. On this page we want to give you as much as information possible in order to make your time in Valenciennes as best as possible. And don’t forget to check out our Blog, you can find many personal experiences and tips on there!

 

MANAGE YOUR MONEY

In order to pay rent or simply to enjoy yourself you will need money. So before coming to Valenciennes you should talk to your bank about the best options regarding credit/debit cards etc. You can also open up a French bank account but it is a rather complicated process. In addition to this we advise you to keep track of your spending habits and try to budget as best as you can, maybe have a look online, there are some great budgeting plans out there!

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WHERE TO SHOP

There are quite a few stores to shop, in Valenciennes. Just go down to the mall located near the Place D’armes. You will find stores like Zara, H&M, Hema, Carrefour and Starbucks. The stores are open Monday through Saturday and you will find pretty much everything you are looking for! 

For an even greater shopping experience you should go to Lille or obviously Paris!

WHAT TO DO IN VALENIENNES

There are quite a few things to do in Valenciennes: bowling, laser tag , ice skating, swimming, cycling around the city, going for a walk around the lake, karaoke singing, clubbing, movie theatre and just hanging out with friends, the list is long and in Valenciennes you will never get bored!

GET MOVING

UPHF offers a wide range of sports and activities. Contact sports@uphf.fr for more information! You can also get active without joining the university’s teams. If you are into fitness there is the basic fit chain that runs 3 gyms around Valenciennes. At the Mont Houy Campus and the Valenciennes lake there are also running routes proposed. Additionally you can rent a “donkey republic bike” through the app and discover valenciennes by bike! Or do some home workouts in your dorm, just bring/ buy a yoga mat. 

 

Valenciennes Culinary: Student Budget Friendly!

A quick trip downtown is all you need in order to find good food in Valenciennes: Italian, Mexican, Thai, Turkish or French, the list is long! Most of the time you can just walk in and get seated but sometimes it’s easier to call in advance, especially when you are a big group. (Great time to practice your French). In France, tipping is not mandatory but it is greatly appreciated. Click here for personal experience eating out.

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Travelling Has Never Been Easier!

Valenciennes is located in the heart of Europe and from here you can travel anywhere! In just under 4 hours you could be in London, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels and more. Europe is a beautiful Continent and especially France has lots of great places to offer. You can organize travel by yourself or join a trip offered by ESN or the International office.

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GET AROUND VALENCIENNES

Thanks to the public transportation system here in Valenciennes it is very easy to get around! There are two metro lines as well as various busses that will get you wherever you need to go – even at night. As a student you can go to “Transville” it’s the centre of public transport and located only 10 minutes from the Des Tertiales Campus. Here you will get your Transville Card which is valid throughout the entire academic year. Another great way to travel is by train, get yourself the “Carte Avantage Jeune” to save on train travel!

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WHAT TO DO WHEN SICK

If you have to see a doctor or a nurse, don’t worry. UPHF provides a doctor and a nurse at Mont Houy and at des Tertiales. They offer consultation options in different fields of medicine.It is important to have sufficient insurance with you. Contact your insurance prior to your arrival in France to make sure you’re covered.If you want to get in contact with a doctor outside the University health center, it is wise to create a Doctolib account in order to book an appointment with a doctor.



Broaden Your Social Network

Finding friends in Valenciennes is really easy because everyone here is really open and friendly but most of the times you will have to make the first move. Try talking about how you come from another country and are here to study, that’s a great conversation starter and also awakes interest in other people.And don’t be afraid of speaking French/ English, people here are really patient and try their best to communicate with you.

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Stay attentive to the PRI (Pole of International Relationship)

As an international student you have the advantage to do different activities in Valenciennes and also participate in a lot of trips and tours completely free! The PRI will also support you in case of occuring problems. You only need to get in touch with the International office and they’ll provide all the information.

Keep In Touch

WHERE TO LIVE IN VALENCIENNES

There are three Crous residences that UPHF students normally live in: Jules Mousseron, Jules Marotton and Les Tertiales. As you will have most/all your classes at the Des Tertiales Campus it is very likely you will be assigned to the Les Tertiales Residence as it is only a 10 minute walk to the University. The other two residences are located closer to the Mont Houy Campus but with the tram only 30 minutes away. Obviously there isn’t only student housing. You can also find a private residence or a (shared) apartment anywhere in Valenciennes.

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GROCERIES SHOPPING

Grocery shopping in France is relatively expensive (depending on where you are coming from). We would advise you to allocate around 50€ per week for groceries as you will eat at home most of the time. We found the cheapest grocery store to be Aldi but the one that offers the widest range of products is Carrefour. Here you can find loads of halal, kosher, vegetarian/vegan and gluten free products!

 

Inclusion would be the correct word to define UPHF

Inclusion would be the correct word to define the Polytechnic University of Hauts-de-France.
From the first day in Valenciennes, the members of the university were very attentive to me and my other Mexican colleagues.
One of the memories that I keep with the most affection has been the treatment I received from the entire teaching team, because the courses taught at the university were fascinating and the teachers were very professional, friendly and understandable, which really helped me to improve my skills and knowledge in the international business area.
Teachers and students tried to integrate us into this new and challenging context for students like us, and thanks to this, our stay was much more welcoming, comfortable and enriching.
The best part of my stay at this institution were the cultural-sports activities. I think that this type of activities strengthens the development and adaptation of students to a new environment and even more so for foreign students.

France is definitely a diverse and plural society, and the Polytechnic University of Hauts-deFrance was a reflection of this, at all times it considered diversity as an opportunity for development and learning.
Meeting people from different countries and learning about their cultures helped me to enjoy this great experience.

Laura Osiris Argüello Fernández
From Mexico

Very different and I loved it !

As part of my university studies in Business Administration and International Business in Canada, I had to do my final year abroad. So I went to France, to the IUT of Valenciennes to carry out the Bachelor in International Trade and Business Administration.
My year of study in France was very different from my years in Quebec and I loved it.

The English classes allowed me to improve my English which is a great asset in this Bachelor. The content of the courses was equally enriching, I learned a lot about France and Europe in general.
Teachers were available to help us with all our courses and to help us find an internship related to our area of ​​study.
This experience also allowed me to meet several foreign students and to create
friendships with them. I have traveled to several countries and discovered new cultures. The city of Valenciennes is charming and welcoming.
Unfortunately due to the pandemic, I was unable to complete my internship,
but I was able to complete my classes. I highly recommend the Bachelor for the relevance of the courses, the
discovery of new cultures and also for an in-depth learning of English.

Melody Fontaine
From Canada

I feel very fortunate to be able to participate in this exchange

“Valenciennes is a peaceful and beautiful city, people here are civilized and modern. When I first came, I was very surprised about the style of life here, very few motorcycles appeared, every People who mainly use cars and trams to travel and travel between cities or countries in the EU are really convenient and fast.

About the school that I was attending, from a university of the city, 2 months ago, the school was recognized as the Université Polytechnique des Hauts-de-France with many fields of training and economics  is the one of them. The learning environment here is full of facilities and always creates the best conditions for students, the learning style is similar but also a little different from Vietnam, the lesson is not simply to master the theory. but must also know the actual analysis from that theory. Teachers here are extremely passionate, they always support students hard in learning and daily difficulties of international students.

I feel really fortunate to be able to participate in this exchange session, I am acquainted with many international students, interacting with teaching and learning in France, I have the opportunity to travel to explore other countries in the EU and see firsthand the fashion and lighting capital in Paris.”

Thi Anh Thu Nguyen
From Vietnam

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