My experience in France has been positive in regards to the education provided at the university. Bordeaux has a good number of universities; the one I attended is the Université Bordeaux Montaigne, also known as Université Bordeaux 3. The university campus of Bordeaux is the largest in Europe; it extends over 3 different municipalities and has many facilities dedicated to students: rooms, libraries, restaurants, football fields etc.
I suggest going to the university as soon as you arrive as there is so much paper work to fill out. The university is massive, it is walkable but the tram goes through campus and there are 5 stops all within the campus.
It is also really hard to find accommodation in Bordeaux, there are more students than housing, so our best advice is to get in early with arranging something, even if it isn't permanent. Although housing depends on university location, finding something more central is probably better for you as the majority of the events occur in the centre. There is always public transport running until 1am, sometimes later. The trams are a big deal here, they run all over the city, and only cost 1, 60€.
The courses I attended were almost all interesting; at the beginning it was a bit difficult to adapt to the French study methods, especially in the written tests where some precise schemes and procedures had to be followed (an example is the "dissertation"). However, in the second half of the semester I managed to understand the system more and everything was more interesting. In general, the teachers were all very helpful. Like in any other university, the quality of the class depends on the lecturer. We would suggest that you attend all of the classes that interest you in the first week of term and then decide.
To conclude the description of my experience, I would like to recommend this university to students who are very interested in what they study, and are willing to work hard (and in French) during the courses.
Maria Boyko
