Campus & Accommodation
Accommodation
There are several aspects that are related with living along the master period.In this page you are going to find information about:
Dorms of the EMN
There are two kinds of dorms at the EMN: for one person or for couples. Because most of the students come alone, we are going to detail the single rooms. The room for couples are similar but bigger (click here for details). Let's check some important details:
* Electricity Plugs - Round connectors 220V.
* Telephone. There is a plug for the telephone, which is different from the typical used in south America (but you can buy an adaptor). Besides, you have to buy the telephone line, which does not includes a telephone. When you obtain the service, you are allowed to rent a phone for 1,52 EUR.
* Local Area Network. There is a LAN network in all the building of the MDE (Maison des eleves) that is where are situated the dorms. This LAN includes a permanent internet connection through a firewall. In order to get connected to this intranet you must apply at the SIC (systems) and you will be connected after a couple of days. This service is completely free, so bring your computer!!!.
* Cable TV. Because the EMN is not in Nantes but in its perimeter, tv reception is not the heaven, so dorms are provided with a socket of cable TV. You can plug your TV to this socket or you can connect it with a tv card in your pc. It works quite well. There are several channels. National Channels are in CCAM and the rest are in the european standard which is PAL.
* KitchenWare. Nothing provided.
* BedWare. You are provided of one cover and a sheet. With that it will be ok. The room also contains a centralized heating system.
* Dorm assignment. The assignment of each dorm is usually done by the guy who manage all the dorms: Mr. George Jougla (english speaker by the way). He will give you the key in your hand, so you are supposed to arrive at the EMN in office hours (8h - 17h from Monday to Friday).
* Communal kitchens. There are places where you can make private parties, meetings or reunions. There is one room like that in every floor of every building (except in the building of couples rooms). There's a specific person in charge of the access to it (per floor). It's a medium sized room with a table for about 6-8 people. You can cook there since it has pans, frier, etc. Anybody can use them (prior consent from the person in charge) with the only condition of leaving it in perfect order.
* Washing machine and Dryer. They are coin operated (1,50 EUR) and they are in another building (close to the dorms). There are dry machines that you can use (50min / 1 EUR ).
* Lighting. There is a mobil lamp whose intensity can be regulated. No bed lamp or similar (in the picture: the white conic stuff placed at the top of the room at the left of a red hat).
* Bicycles. Bicycles are NOT allowed in the dorms. There's a special place to leave them.
* Rent. Actually, the rent of a single room is approximately 384 EUR (you will have a help of 50 euros from the ecole, so you will be paying only 334 EUR). Every student can apply for help to the French government for the rent. It takes some time (until you obtain your carte de sejour (see here)) but they help you with more or less the half of the rent (including the first month of your arrival).
This price is a bit expensive in compared with some apartments in Nantes. But the first six months you are going to appreciate the fact that you can leave your room just 7 min before a class starts. You are free to live where ever you want. The ecole has dorms down town, but getting one is more difficult (same price).* Electricity and water. They are included in the rent (you don't have to pay for them).
Couple dorms of the EMN
The rooms for couples are not that different. Basically, they have three ambient (dorm, living and kitchen) and a bathroom. The following picture shows the main parts of the apartment, click over to go to the description.
E - Kitchenette| F - Distribution hall | G - Bathroom| X - General Notes
A - Balcony
Well, not much to say about it, except that it's great to have one! it goes all the way.
B - Study / Living Room
Here are several things... on the right side you have a wall to wall desk where two people would comfortably be able to work (unless you're like me and cover all available working surfaces with all sort of things). On top of the desk (incorporated to it and running its full length) there are several shelves. They can be regulated within certain limits (three positions for each, I think).
There are two ergonomic, wheeled chairs and two wheeled cabinets (each with four drawers - not shown). One thing to note is that looking at it, on the right side is where the telephone and net plugs are located.
The big thing drawn on the left side of the room is a couch, which converts into a fairly sized bed! Guess you won't be able to deny living quarters to family and friends when they decide to 'drop-by'... ;-)
The box on top of it, is another set of shelves that's as tall as the doors (those two little squares splitting the wall line).
The doors to the balcony (two) have external rollable shutters, and no curtains. You'll have to purchase them (although I didn't see where you could hook them up - but didn't check either).
Heating is accomplished in this room by a radiator located behind the desk near the door to the balcony. It's approximately 1/3 the length of it.
C - Dormitory
It's a double sized bed, so you can spread out without hitting the walls or falling off! It has two bedside tables. It has a window relatively small (guess it's for privacy) and has the same type of rollable shutters as the balcony.
The cable TV plug is not in this room and there is no place where to place the TV.... was too concentrated on other things... Here there is also a heating, laying in the wall between this room and the living room.
D - Entrance
Not much to say, except that this is where you're supposed to enter (unless you're into something more exciting like wall-climbing and that sort of things).
One thing to notice is that on top of it, there's a place (a shelf) where you can stow away some stuff (like luggage, boxes, etc). Also the fuse-box is located there.
For those that are very conscious about personal appearance, there's a full body mirror there - so in the morning you can discover that your socks are different colors or that your hair looks as bad as you think... ;-)
E - Kitchenette
For those prone to the culinary arts (not my case) you'll find two electrical... what you call them? They're not burners (obviously!). Anyways, they are there. A sink and shelves. Also, there's a space for a microwave (not included). There's a small fridge too (empty, of course!)
The box on top of it is a small table with (I think) two stools. Not very big but enough to eat in relative comfort.
F - Distribution hall
Might sound as an overstatement, but had to give it a name. The two closed spaces are placards. The one on top is mainly for hanging things, while the bottom one has plenty of shelves. They both go all the way to the roof.
G - Bathroom
Not much to say about it. There's a shower (sorry, no tub), the sink and toilette. Can't make any detailed comments, since I just looked in (I was on my way to test the bed!)
X - General Notes
In general, the dorms look great and very comfortable. The floors have wall to wall carpet, so you can walk barefoot without freezing your toes! (but any spot will cost you 7,62 EUR)
Transports: Buses and Trams
In Nantes there is a bus and tram service provided by a company called TAN. that start working at 6hr and finish at midnight. Buses and trams work with a ticket system. Once you board either a bus or a tram you must mark your ticket in an orange machine located inside the transport. The marked ticked allows you to use all the transport network for one our (unless you have an special ticket). There are several kind of tickets:- One hour ticket. From the moment that the ticket has been marked, you can use it one hour in Nantes, descending or boarding other transports without re-marking the ticket. Cost: 8 FF the unit and 60 FF 10 units.
- 24 hours ticket. Valid for 24 hours after you have mark your ticket in any transport.
- Student tickets. You need a student pass which is freely given at the TAN office in the center of the town (more precisely, at the commerce tram station). This tickets are monthly.
Miscellaneous
- The language department at the Ecole provides material for non-french speaking dorks! Also, we might get the key to use it anytime (the language lab). If you don't speak french it's my suggestion that you get a crash-course before getting there... sure, classes will be in english, but you'll still need to go to the cafeteria and order food!
- French! What a language... you may find that you can start giving it a try right at you web browser through this links:
- http://babel.uoregon.edu/yamada/guides.html (sort of a language info-pool)
- Driver License. France has some agreements with many countries that establishes an equivalence between the driver's license of each country. However, as you are coming with a french student status, it will not be necessary to even obtain an international driver's license. Obviously, whenever you are stopped by the french police you should have both you driver's license and a proof that you currently have a french student status. It has been recommended by the French authorities to have an international license if possible in order to facilitate the translation of your driver's license.
http://www.travlang.com/languages (where you select french and your native tongue, and tadaaa! You're all set to try to learn it ;-)
