Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Professors at the Fac de Droit were often difficult to get ahold of and were not very interested in the success of students, especially foreign students who did not speak perfect French.

On-site administration of your program

With this program, I worked with at least 5 different offices to get things done and NONE of them were very helpful, but some were better than others. First of all, the housing office (CROUS) is TERRIBLE! The ISEP administration is ok, but they are bad at following through and to get anything done, you'll need to call them back until your problem is dealt with. The administrators at the bureau des relations internationales are all very nice but not very knowledgable about ISEP. You'll also be working with administration at your specific college so be prepared to work with all these people! It gets frustrating, but just remember to fight for what is yours.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I loved the apartment I found with my two roommates. It was the ideal housing situation in a good sized apartment in a decent neighborhood. The contract was signed individually for each room which was nice so I didn't have to worry about relying on others to pitch in for rent and all the utilities except internet were included! HOWEVER! This was not the housing provided by the university. I would highly recommend avoiding university housing as it is VERY small and not designed for students actually living in the rooms long term. Certain residences are nicer than others (some even have their own sink, and select few, a toilet) but none come with any kind of kitchen and storage is very limited. These rooms are a lot cheaper than private apartments but keep in mind that under the ISEP agreement, the university is obligated to pay for your housing. In the end I ended up paying 40 Euro a month out of pocket for utilities and it was DEFINITELY worth it!

This is France, so of course the food is great! And in Nice you have the added benefit of really fresh fruits and veggies! Yum, yum! The Resto-U at the universities are a really good deal at just under 3 Euro for a HUGE meal but only certain ones are open for breakfast and dinner. They're really accommodating to vegetarians/vegans and usually have a good selection of food. If you're living on campus, the resto-U will be your favorite place, but if you're living in an apartment with a kitchen, you probably won't end up eating there much.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

There are plenty of social opportunities in Nice! There are lots of parties and if you're ever bored, there's always the beach and tons of cute little French towns to visit. The university is pretty good at sponsoring some of the events and giving good student discounts. There are also university sponsored sports teams and other PE type classes (Most of which are free or very inexpensive) that you just have to sign up for online at the beginning of the semester.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I feel like I spent way too much money on health insurance and in the end, I don't think I was even covered. The ISEP administration was horrible at explaining what goes on with the French Secu (or securite' sociale). As for feeling safe, I guess it's just like any other place on earth. There are always going to be bad things that happen, you just have to be smart and careful to avoid some potential problems.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

The additional language program offered through CUEFFLE at the Universite de Nice was very helpful with additional grammar and meeting other students interested in learning French. Some professors are better than others but they are all still very good and always willing to help. My language skills went from being certified at a low B1 (lower intermediate) to B2 (higher intermediate) and I feel that by the end, they were closer to a C1 (lower advanced).