Greetings from the Pink City (aka Toulouse)! I have been here for nearly 5 months, and my exchange is nearly at its end. I came here to experience living and studying in a different country, and Toulouse looked like the perfect place to go to. It has been said to be the top city for students in France. There are students roaming around every day, from all over the world and the sunny, warm weather of the South of France has attracted a lot of exchange students. It is known as the Pink City because the buildings in the city center are made from bricks with a pink hue. It is beautiful strolling around the old town on a sunny day and taking in the beautiful colours.
During my spare time here, I explore the city with my friends, coming up with new things to do on the weekends or on bank holidays. One of our favourite spots to hang out in is by the steps of the Garonne (the river that passes through the city), where we all bring some food (mainly baguette and brie), drinks, and card games, and we just chill there, laughing, talking, and taking in the sun. In the evenings, we love to watch the sunset.
I have also traveled around France, going on day trips to nearby towns such as the medieval town of Carcassonne and the coastal town of Collioure. I have also taken advantage of the geographical location of France and visited various countries I had never been to before, such as Belgium, the Netherlands, and Portugal.
The studies at my campus are quite different from what I am used to at TAMK. I do a total of 9 courses, each worth 3 credits, which are taught in intensive week-and-a-half periods. For example, one course called “Biodiversity and Environment” was taught exclusively for 8 days, only dedicated to those lectures. It is an interesting way of learning; I personally prefer the more ‘traditional’ system of learning different subjects at the same time. However, one advantage of the intensive weeks was that I did not have an exam period; instead, the exams were done immediately after the course, so everything was fresh in my mind. Also, the system at my campus was stricter than what I was used to as we were not allowed to skip any lectures, and if we missed two or more days, we needed to have proof as to why we were not attending. On the bright side, during this spring semester, there were a lot of bank holidays and free weeks in February and April where we were allowed to go and travel.
I am enjoying every minute of my study abroad, and it will be difficult to say goodbye to the many amazing people I have met and this beautiful city. I will never forget this experience, and I will always remember Toulouse as the start of my new chapter in life (as cheesy as that sounds)!
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