With its very first words, the Sorbonne Nouvelle's
accommodation guide neatly dispels any optimistic fancies about the subject. It could hardly be otherwise: a far-from-exhaustive search suggests that the number of students who need Parisian roofs over their heads is near a quarter of a million, and of course, other people than students must also live and work in the city.
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| The Maison Internationale at the 'Cité-U' |
In this light, the university's counsel to seek accommodation in good time seemed indisputably sound. Having nevertheless had to await nomination to the Erasmus scheme, and then inexcusably dawdled, I applied to the
Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris, which might be described as a campus in the 14th
arrondissement. 10,000 students live there in 40
maisons, most of which correspond to a nationality administratively, but which, in practice, accommodate students of all countries side-by-side. Unfortunately, I underestimated the length of time (a month) before their reply, which was a curt negative. (I bear no grudge, however: I still think this worth considering for prospective students).
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| More maisons at the Cité. |
Thus abruptly removed to square one, I once more had recourse to the estimable
Guide Paris III pour la recherche de logement. The suggested foyers seemed appealing but inconveniently were also full. In other student housing, little choice remained available from the
CROUS, and a high rent was charged by independent
résidences. That left independent accommodation, in the search for which
www.lokaviz.fr was invaluable. This accommodation service caters exclusively for students, requires only electronic proof of academic status, facilitates access to proprietors' details, and is the reason why I am inflicting this blog-post upon the world from a room in Meudon, a suburb south-west of Paris (Hauts-de-Seine 92) - photographs of and waffle about which I will produce soon.
Now with the weary air of experience, but aware that I have been fortunate in finding a solution, I will join the chorus of exhortation of anybody who intends to study in Paris to begin the search in plenty of time and in several places. It is more important than it seems to remain alert - yea, even (as it turns out) in the grimmest hour of the shadow of exam term - to the practical aspects of the Year Abroad. Nevertheless, there is no cause for utter despair: all students find somewhere in the end. After all, even the
Guide pour la recherche de logement leaves some hope: the search is not
impossible; it is merely
difficile.
