University of Exeter Handbook (Physics) Questions/Comments Department (Physics)

Bienvenue à Rennes 1994/95
by Julia Cogan

INTRODUCTION

The degree course Physics with European Study is a wonderful initiative. It involves spend in a year in a foreign country studying Physics, and whilst doing so, learning the country's language. I was one or the first two students ever to follow all the courses offered at Rennes University for the Licence de Physique.

We didn't know what to expect The greatest fear before going was that of the unknown. It is for this reason that I've decided to continue with the report started two years ago for students planning to pursue this course.

Rennes is beautiful city and conveniently placed for travel to and from Exeter. The population of Rennes is about 250,000 although it seems much more due to the extra 65,000 students. There are many difrerent colleges and schools in Rennes with many foreign students so it seems quite cosmopolitan. The old part of Rennes around the Cathedral is very picturesque with timbered buildings and cobbled streets. Rennes is the capital of Brittany and as such has all the facilities you would expect.

TRAVEL

Ferries

Travel to Rennes from Prilair- is easiest and cheapest by sailing with Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth to St. Malo. the company is French so it is particularly cheap when booking from France as students can obtain a reduction wilh a French student cards. An open return for a foot passenger costs approximately FF28 in low season or FF20 with the reductions. I would suggest buying a single ticket when you first go in September and buying your retum in France. The ovemight ferry from Portsmouth leaves at 8:30 p.m. With all night crossings you will have to reserve a reclining seat for approximately FF4. The rerry arrives in St. Malo at 8:00 am the following day.

Rail

A shorter joumey time is possible using the Eurostar service from London Waterloo to Paris. This costs FF42 each way for a youth single booked a week in advance, and takes 3 hours. I would recommend buying the Eurostar tickets in England as they are cheaper here. From Paris to Rennes the train costs approximalely FF200. and takes 2 hours and 15 minutes on the high speed TGV.

Travelling To Rennes

If travelling by car the road from St. Malo to Rennes is well sign-posted. The journey is only about 60 kilometres.

The station (SNCF) is about 2 miles from the port. This is best tackled (especially with luggage) by taking a taxi from the rank outside the ferry terminal. The taxi fare is about FF30. The journey to Rennes takes only I hour by train and costs FF6. single. Every day except Saturday there is train at 9:35 am; on Saturdays it is at about 11 am.

When travelling from Devon the Plymouth-Roscoff crossing is quite convenient. However train connections from Roscoff to Rennes can be difficult and involve long waits. In the olher direction there is a three hour wait at Roscoff before boarding the ferry. Check train times in advance if possible.

Another option is Portsmouth-Caen. There are a few direct trains between Caen and Rennes, taking 3 hours, otherwise the joumey involves changing at Le Mans to join the Paris-Rennes TGV. This joumey costs about FF230. with student reduction.

Rail And Ferry Reductions

In France students can obtain a discount on nearly all forms of transport. However it is necessary to know which travel agents and companies offer discounts, as this isn't necessarily the case with all of them.

To obtain rail and ferry reductions you will need a French student card. All travel agents will give student reductions on ferry tickets but most will charge FF30. for the service. This can be avoided by using the travel agent below. Reduced price train tickets (like billets biges) cannot be bought at SNCF stations, and few travel agents sell them either. A 30% reduction can be obtained at the following agents:

all Wasteels agents offer these discounts. A return ticket in France costs twice as much as a single, unlike in Britain.

Travel In Rennes

The most convenient way to travel in Rennes is by bus. There is a comprehensive network of buses crossing the city continuous. I found the most useful to be the routes 1, 10 and the night bus, (orange signs), the 16 is very useful as well. Timetables are easy to obtain from hall or Star offices, (Star is the name of the bus company).

The No. 1 goes directly from behind Beaulieu hall of residence (a bus stop called Mirabeau) to the city centre and then on to the SNCF station. The No. 10 joins the Beaulieu campus (Rennes I) and Villejean (Rennes II). The night buses run similar routes between 8 p.m. and midnight.

These buses can only be boarded at an official bus stop by signalling the driver. A bus ticket is valid for one hour after time stamping in the machine on the buses. The tickets can be bought from the driver for FF5.50. or in books of ten from tabacs at FF41. Alternatively a student weekly or monthly card can be bought. This is the (cheapest long term option at FF118. a month. They are obtainable from Star offices at the Place de la Marie and next to the post office, and now on campus in the ler cycle photocopying office. A student card and passport photo will be needed. There are teams of Star inspectors who board the buses to check on tickets. Heavy fines are given on the spot if tickets aren't valid.

Taxis are priced similarly to Britain, but they all work for one company. They can be found at the Place de la Marie and the SNCF station. A charge of FF10. is added for luggage over 25kg. An example of prices, from the station to halls on a Sunday night cost me FF50.

The coach station is near the train station. As in Britain journeys by coach are cheaper, but longer than by train. If travelling in a group, books of five single tickets can be bought for a discount.

ACCOMMODATION

Halls Of Residence

The halls in Rennes are not owned by the University, instead they are run by a private company called CROUS. Therefore for all matters involving accommodation you should contact the CROUS office directly at 7 Place Hoche, Rennes.

The hall of residence for students at Rennes I is called Beaulieu. This is directly opposite the main campus and so is the most convenient place to live. Beaulieu is split into two parts: nos. 29 and 33 Avenue des Buttes de Coësmes. All accommodation at No. 33 is mixed, except one building of boys only, No. 29 is all mixed now. However before No. 33 used to be mainly boys and No. 29 mainly girls.

This results in rather dirty, un-cared for facilities at No. 33 and it is not particularly welcoming to girls. In No. 33 the toilets and showers are dirty and some of the residents are still especially intimidating to women.

No. 29 is much cleaner than No. 33. The rooms are similarly equipped to the halls in Exeter. All rooms have a sink, desk, reading lamp, comfy chair, etc. and No. 29 has bidets in all rooms too.

Each floor has about forty rooms, and one small kitchen. The kitchen has four gas rings and a freezer, although the freezer may only be used for freezer packs. The French have cooler boxes in their rooms to keep food fresh as there are no fridges. The gas burners are only supposed to be for boiling water and making breakfast, although in practice many cook meals on them at night. Saucepans and cooking utensils are not provided.

Sheets and blankets are provided along with a feather bolster. Sheets can be changed twice a month. Towels are not provided. Cards, posters or anything for your walls are essential unless you have a particular liking for yellow and orange wallpaper. Other necessities are cutlery, plate, cup, and bowl - although they can be bought cheaply in the nearby supermarket. I found a kettle really useful too.

There is a salle de travaille and a TV room in each building. There are also laundry rooms in the basements of building D (No. 33) and G (No. 29). These have washing machines and tumble dryers which are temperamental but cheap compared to launderettes in the City. (FF16 for the washing machine and FF2 per 7 minutes in the dryer.)

There are good car parking facilities at all halls.

No. 33 has one concierge between all its buildings and she can be found in a small room on the end of block C. No. 29 has concierges in more of its buildings. Some female halls have a concierge on duty overnight. It is important to make friends with your concierge, as they can be very helpful. The rooms get cleaned twice a month and your cleaner is another person to befriend. There are two telephones in each block which use phone cards, as do most in Rennes, there are also phones on each floor in the kitchens. Phone cards can be bought at all tabacs in two sizes; FF40 or FF98. (50 or 120 units). The only pay-phone I know of in Rennes is by the post office in the city centre.

These halls are relatively cheap as they are subsidised by the French government. Rent is paid monthly to the main 29 or 33 offices on site. The cost for 1994/95 was 685FF per month for the room, i.e. about £19 pounds per week. A month's deposit is also required which is returnable at the end of your stay. A month's notice is required when vacating rooms. I suggest not paying June's rent as they can use your deposit money instead.

Applying for a place in hall is relatively easy, just fill in the application form provided by Exeter Physics department at the end of the third term. A few documents are required and a declaration from parents/guardians that they will reimburse CROUS if you damage your room or fail to pay your rent. They will require a certificat de non contagion which is simply a letter from your doctor stating that you haven't got any contagious diseases. International Reply Coupons may also be requested, although don't be surprised if they never use them to write to you. Room insurance is automatically arranged for you when you arrive at a cost of FF30 .

The hall of residence is the ideal place to make friends at the beginning of the year but it will take more time than it does at Exeter. All French students studying science will have to study some English as well so they are often grateful for the chance to practise. Placing an advert for English conversation on a hall notice board is an ideal way to make friends. It's not advisable though to place adverts in supermarkets etc. as this can be dangerous, particularly for women. Through word of mouth one can give lessons and exchange French/English conversation. The main difference between British and French halls is that at weekends the majority of the French students go home leaving whole blocks of accommodation empty. The reason for this is that they go to their nearest university and go home at weekends to see their friends and family. This takes a little time to get used to. A way to overcome being lonely at weekends is to make friends with other foreign students or people who live in Rennes

Alternative Accommodation

The alternative to living in a hall of residence is to live with a French family. CROUS can help you find a family although one student found a family by asking the staff in the Physics department. There are also adverts for rooms on the supermarket notice boards. Some families will provide meals as well as a room although this is not necessarily the case. Living with a family is an ideal solution to being lonely at the weekends, and it is a tremendous boost if your French is not that good. It is also nice to experience the life of a French family and be totally immersed in their culture. The main disadvantage with this can be the cost it is much more expensive than living in hall. Prices vary enormously but the average is about FF1,000-1,500 per month for a room only. If the family live away from Beaulieu travelling can prove difficult. A bicycle is very useful.

Living with a family can be a wonderful experience, your French can improve extremely quickly, it's also nice to know that you have got somewhere to stay when visiting Rennes again

Food

There is one large restaurant at Beaulieu halls and one small one (just for lunch) on campus, as well as a cafeteria that sells good sandwiches and drinks throughout the day and is very popular with the students. The main one is open from 11.45 am to 1.45 pm and then from 6.30 pm to 8 pm. There are two areas to eat in; upstairs where full cooked meals are served and downstairs for snacks, such as pizza or croque monsieur. Meals are paid for using dinner tickets which can only be bought at lunch time (not on Fridays or weekends). They are sold in strips of ten for FF132. This is cheap compared to eating out in town. For one ticket you get four items e.g. salad, main course, cheese and yoghurt, if you do not take the meat then you can take six items. Do not expect wonderful French cuisine as with all mass catering it's only just edible. Horse and rabbit are often on the menu.

If you are vegetarian be warned that the French do not know the meaning of the word and you need to make it very clear that you do not eat meat including fish. There are very occasionally suitable main meals in the restaurant but mostly you can take the smaller items and chips. I suggest taking food like soya and other vegetarian products with you because they are not widely available in France, and be prepared to cook more for yourself

BUREAUCRACY

Three things that you will probably use and what is needed in order to get hold of them:

Student Card

Best to ask Jezequel for help, this card is needed for reductions, restaurant tickets and is essential.

You will need:

Carte de Sejours

This is a legal requirement after 3 months stay and is essential to get money back from social security.

You will need:

Social Security

This is called the allocation logement etudiant and is there to refund almost half of your rent monthly. The concierge should give out the forms to apply near the beginning of term. You will need: On the form there is no need to mention your grant or ERASMUS money as these are not taxed and therefore not relevant.

ACADEMIC

On arrival in Rennes and having sorted out accommodation, the next problem is finding the Physics department. It is not obvious; there are not many signs on buildings and most students do not know where their own department is as they never have any real need to visit it. In batiment 11 C you will find Proressors Jezequel and Solal. Prof. Jezequel is the head of the department, and both or them are very busy but are always friendly, helpful and very accessible. Jezequel speaks English but only when absolutely necessary. Mme. Solal is the Statistical Physics lecturer and has spent a year in America doing research, so she knows exactly what it is like having been in the same position as us. She is wonderfully helpful and is available for help generally as well as with physics difficulties, so do, not hesitate to see her if you have any problems. When you arrive if you want to use email then ask Mme. Solal or Jezequel and you should be able to share a computer account with a few other foreign students.

On your first day Prof. Jezequel will help organise your registration and to get your student card. He should provide you with an attestation which is required by the hall. This is a piece of paper saying that you are studying Physics and that he is responsible for you.

The term dates for 1994/95 were:

Exams finished on the 2nd June.

The year is split into 2 semesters. The first ends 2 weeks after the Xmas holidays and then you have a week of exams. The second semester starts immediately and continues until the second week in May. There is a weeks holiday in February as well.

Look at the timetables in the annexe to see which courses we followed throughout the year.

For each lecture course there is a 1 1/2-2 hour lecture each week and a 1l/2 hour seminar (TD). Do not plan anything straight after the lecture as they often continue 15-20 minutes after the supposed finishing lime. Seminars are a sort of problems class, the difference is that, the problems are given out at the beginning of a session and the lecturer works through them on the board during the same session.

Maths seminars are very different as a pair of students take each seminar presenting the problems on the board themselves. A nerve racking experience, even for the French.

Seminars are in groups of about 30 to 40 students. This the closest contact French students have with the staff, some of the seminars are given by the staff who lecture the course, but not always. We found it helpful to inform the staff that we were foreign as then they did not tend to ask us questions in class, and were always willing to help afterwards.

Not much work was set to be handed in during the year, except Statistical Physics and practical write ups for Electronics and for our lab work. The students are very independent of the Staff and generally do everything for themselves.

Maths

The maths course is in theory similar to the maths we studied in Exeter, the first semester was on complex methods and was reasonable but the second semester was on distributions and Bessel fns and suchlike. The main difference is that it is much harder being more formal. The French students seem to have a better stronger maths foundation than us, because it is not just in maths that difficult maths is used.

Statistical Physics

This is similar to our second year course just quite a bit more mathematical at times, it might help to take out your previous notes.

Electromagnetism

They might use the same course text book as us in the second year (LCL) but this course we found difficult. This could be due to a terrible lecturer at 8.15 am each Wed. morning as the year progressed fewer and fewer French bothered turning up to listen to his mumblings, I did not blame them. We had a different lecturer for the seminars who enjoyed making people feel stupid and most of the French felt intimidated by him, make sure that you tell him that you are English, he might not pick on you then.

Quantum Mechanics

This course was also very hard because the content. It was tackled from a totally different angle and involved a lot of maths and manipulations of operators and Dirac notation. I suggest trying to follow right from the beginning if possible otherwise there is too much to catch up when the exams arrive. We had an extremely good lecturer for the seminars who was very helpful and you could ask her any questions and she explained well some of the problems.

Mechanics

This course was actually quite interesting, it was similar to the second year theoretical analytical dynamics and used the same text book by Goldstein which I recommend. It was well lectured except when the lecturer decided to dictate his definitions, even the French had major difficulties with this. So try to sit sandwiched in-between 2 French to increase your chances of getting good notes. Dr. Thomas is very helpful if you ask any questions and is easily found in the Physics department, and he will try his best to make you understand.

Optics

Having not studied Optics in the second year this course was hard but interesting. There was a lot to know and learn. I have to say that the lectures and seminars were very boringly given and the exams never seemed to be connected to previous worked examples.

Electronics and Computing

My advice for these two subjects is that in the practicals you should try your best to have a French partner who has had previous experience in electronics and computing. The computing course is taught using PASCAL, anyone who already knew some Pascal would probably find it quite useful. The electronics is quite time consuming as it helps to try and work through the experiment beforehand understanding the French and the theory, also you have to write up the experiments. The electronics seminars were often quite confusing as the lecturer continually made important mistakes in his calculations and in general the French either do not notice or do not bother to tell the lecturer if there is a mistake, a lot of time can be wasted in this way. Also the electronics exams are infamous for being impossibly hard.

French for Foreigners

For 1994/95 this course only started in the beginning of March, just 5 months too late. However our teacher, for 2 hours a week, was marvellous and we still learnt a lot from her in the 2 months that we had her. It is the Chemistry department who organises lessons for ERASMUS students, and as soon as you arrive you should ask Jezequel about the lessons and go to the department yourself and keep reminding them otherwise they will not bother. Jezequel was also annoyed at how long it took for us to receive the lessons and he was able to have words with the Chemistry head of department. You have a right to lessons so do not give up on them, hopefully next year they will think about it a bit more in advance. In view of this I strongly recommend the weeks language course available in September before the term starts. The lessons are a great opportunity to meet other foreign students.

Practical Work

We had two choices for practical work in the second semester: This year we choose to work in the research lab. It gave us an excellent opportunity to follow the latest developments in the fields of research in the Physics department and to have some hands on experience. You should keep an on going diary because at the end we had to hand in a report of what we had done and seen and what physics was involved. I found this incredibly interesting and for one day a week we were more involved with the researchers and had closer contact with some of our lecturers and learnt a lot from our different placements.

The previous year the other practical courses were followed. The standard is similar to first year level and is very interesting. It was a good place to make friends. There is one practical session per week for each course. One experiment is done per session and lasts up to 3 hours.

The practical books with all the experiments can be bought from the office but it is recommended that you ask Prof. Solal before buying one, (she might give you copies of the timetables if you ask). The practical books are not marked or handed in but at the end of the semester there is a practical exam which involves resitting one of the experiments you have already done but in half the time. It is therefore essential to attend all the sessions.

The practical work really helps improve your French and is therefore advantageous to do as much as possible.

Everyday Living

Unfortunately, page 15 of the source document has been lost

Shopping

Banks

Cost of Living

Doctors

ENTERTAINMENT

Going out in Rennes is expensive. unfortunately the university does not have any facilities for entertainment in the way Exeter does. There are no organised clubs or societies no theatres and no student bars. There are still lots of things to do. Thursday night is the night when French students go out. This tends to involve a visit to Rue St. Michelle otherwise known as Rue de la soif. This is a lovely old street full of typical French bars with tables in the street and live music. Rue St. George is also another student haunt. Rue St. Malo also has an excellent Irish bar 'Macartan's' that has live music on Tuesday and Wednesday night, I really recommend going early on Wednesday to get a seat as it is very popular. There is also the INSA bar on campus, the one and only bar on campus, it has irregular opening times but quite often there are organised evenings there

Night clubbing is not really a regular student pastime mainly due to the price. It costs FF60-80. to get in although Pimms does a free student night on Wednesdays occasionally, it is quite often free before midnight on Thursday and then you can get the first bus back the following morning at 5 something am. Once in a club you will have to pay FF50. to get a glass of coke so it is not a cheap night out. Girls should be warned that subtlety does not work when being hassled by a Frenchman.

In the Cite Universitaire there is a students society ASCREB that organises these clubs, open during the week mostly:

There is a sports hall open only during the week and not far away in the Parc de Gayelles there is tennis, squash and swimming also there are good cycle lanes.

On Monday nights in the Bar St. Melaine in the Rue St. Melaine a group AEGEE organises trips around Brittany and you can mix with French people who want to meet foreigners.

CONCLUSION

Although this year has been a fabulous experience I wouldn't wish anyone to miss out on, it is important to realise that it is a difficult challenging year and certainly not a year off. Simply having to live in a foreign country not knowing anyone can take time to adjust to and occasionally be very lonely and frustrating.

Learning a foreign I language is not passive. It means being constantly alert and spending hours learning vocabulary. It is also extremely tiring. To learn French to the standard that I have I didn't have the same amount of time to spend on Physics as the French students did. This was unfortunate but necessary to achieve my aim of becoming fluent in French. This should be taken into consideration when deciding on the course to be pursued in the future.

Having said that, my year in France was the best thing that's ever happened to me. Physics with European Study is a genuinely wonderful chance for a scientist to become proficient in a foreign language. It is a fantastic opportunity which widens horizons and makes you a more marketable person, which should not be missed.

Bon courage and bonne chance.

See also: Year 3 of Programmes with Study Abroad
Update to Bienvenue à Rennes

University of Exeter Handbook (Physics) Questions/Comments Department (Physics)