Advice: Renewing the Student Visa (revisited from 2011)

I've been getting quite a few questions recently regarding the renewal process for a student visa; so first off, the important thing is to know which préfecture you must go to.  Each region has their own specific requests for the renewal, but the general information needed is:

What's needed:

• Your passport.
• Copies of the following pages in your passport:
• Identification page (the 'passport' page)
• The original visa
• Stamp of entry into France from the last time you came in
• Vignette d'OFII (the medical paper they gave you after your OFII appointment, or the actual certificate often glued into your passport)
• Original Birth Certificate
• Copy of Original Birth Certificate
• Translation of Birth Certificate (done by a certified translator, I used a woman named Karen King in Northern France; scanned it, sent it, she translated it and then mailed it back for only 39 euros, as well as in the original post. It is normal that she requests you pay in advance)
• Copy of Translated Birth Certificate
• Proof of Housing:  The rent bill dated at least 3 months from the date of renewal and a original of the electricity or phone bill if possible.
• Copy of Proof of Housing & Electricity bill
• Certificate de Scolarité from the previous year's study- this comes from when you sign up at University, they give you this paper that on the back reads: Certificate de Scolarité.  Get one for each semester.
• Copies of the certificat de scolarité
• Grades from the previous semester (if grades are not released yet, use the FIRST semester)
• Copies of Grades from previous semester
• Proof of Ability to Take Care of Yourself; basically a Bank RIB copy (in France), Contrat de Travail (if you work), proof of WORK payments, or an attestation written by your parents stating they will pay for your studies- as well as their most recent bank statement.  At least 650€ per month.
• COPY of all the above.
• 3 Photos, taken from a photo booth or shop.  Ensure the background is off white, light gray- NOT WHITE- they will not accept WHITE.
• The stamps that pay for the visa, called timbres fiscales available for purchase at any tabac.  The average student visa is 58€ in timbres, there is no longer a OMI or OFII stamp available since January 2012.

The Actual Process

Renewing a visa has a couple of different options to renew:

1. Renew through the University (guichets and offices available on campus for some universities, you simply bring all paperwork and copies and deposit, for this bring a lettre recommandée in order to have the récépissé returned to your address)
2. Renew through the prefecture (depending on the préfecture, in Lyon you have to get there at 6am in order to wait in line, in Paris you can take an appointment online)

Remember to really keep the récépissé they hand you in a safe place, it is the only proof you have of a legal stay in France.  The new titre de séjour will be ready within 6 - 8 weeks, unfortunately there is no indicator so you sort of need to try to pick it up at some point between that time.

Commonly asked questions

Does this mean you will have to renew your student visa every 3 months?

Once you receive a récipissé, which is a temporary visa, once you get the student titre de sejour it should last for one year, unless your in a special and complicated case where you aren't "inscribed" for school yet (happens in july).

For the renewal do we need to get the prefecture stamps again which can be bought online and in the tabac like I did on my first visa? 

Yes.  Every renewal needs these timbres or stamps, a student Visa is 58€ of stamps.

For the birth certificate, do you really need to have the original with you?

Yes. Absolutely. All original documents are needed, as well as their copies.

Do you mind giving the contact information of your translator Karen?

http://www.traductionassermentee.net/

Mastering the Art of the French Master's Degree

First off, I should probably explain what is going on at the moment and why I disappeared for about a month.

I've been getting many helpful comments and nice things being said about me but I barely have had a moment to log on and to even say THANKS!

September of this year I officially started a Master's degree in International Business Management in Lyon.  In order to create more of a challenge I decided, given the choice between two programs, to go with the program entirely in French.  Even better I decided to pick the intensive Master 2 Professional option which meant about 32 hours of classes a week.  Oh, let's just add that I was working, as well, around 18.5 hours a week at Wallstreet Institute.

You can imagine my typical day, as detailed in my last blog post.

Well, there truly is an art to the French Masters, even an art to studying in France.  It started with the intensity of the courses for me and wounded up in a climatic end of term finals where I about ripped out my hair from stress.

Shall we?

What Happens in Class
After a sleepless night and nightmares where I lost all ability to communicate in French, I arrived in my Master's class with my college-ruled American notebook and a single pen.  As I settled into the uncomfortable plastic seats and nodded around the class, practically whispering, bonjour, I noticed immediately that I was not well prepared.  Three girls glimpsed over my 'school materials' and then pulled out their own lumpy pencil bag, deftly picking out three different colors of pens, a ruler and either white sheets of paper or lined paper that gave me a headache to look at.

I scoffed to myself, what a bunch of overachievers, until I noticed even the laziest looking guy in my class had at least 2 colors and a ruler laid out in front of him.  My throat began to become dry as I suddenly felt like that dumb American foreigner and quickly reached into my bag to see if I had another color of pen.

Before I could find the second color, the teacher came exploding through the door, "Bonjour classe, donc, je suis veille France et donc je ne supporterai pas les ordinateurs, téléphone portables ni les SMS" I sighed quietly as I glanced over to see if I was supposed to start noting or what, she continued, "Et je n'enverrai pas les Power Points donc prennez bien vos notes" Well merde at that one.  I was at least relying on some back support in my American in France learning struggle, but I prepared my hand for the noting battle.

Looking back on my notes for that day I almost feel pity for myself, I had tried to note as fast as possible, but got lost in the dialogue, the questions my colleagues posed, the language itself.  Many of the passages said things like, "Une entreprise ????  donc important de ???" Where I was meant to miraculously fill in the blanks at home and try to get the sense.

I noted as the others used abbreviations, multicolors to change the theme and rulers to create perfectly level lines.  The precision was utterly disgusting but yet somehow exciting at the same time, I find the French people to be, in my opinion, the most apt to OCD in the world.  I also suddenly had an urge to use those weird multi lined bloc notes to organize and create some absolute precision in my writing.

Oh, and, the teacher's do not really want your opinion, even though they ask.  If you have the balls to answer, be prepared to be grilled on the topic until you turn a beet red in frustration and shrivel into your shirt.  They are talking at you, the underling, and you must simply note what they say.

Also, no homework. Everything is based on tests.

So advice for those wanting to pursue a degree in France?

• Let go of the College Ruled paper, embrace the Bloc Notes
• If possible, bring a computer
• If possible, bring a charger
• Don't eat during class, otherwise you will here some rampant mumblings about the American stereotype
• 3 colors of pens
• A ruler for lovely lines
• LABEL LABEL LABEL (otherwise you'll end up like me and freaking out during dead week)
• Buy a classeur to organize your notes
• Ask if the teacher sends the slides

Team Work in France

I am lucky enough the have the experience to be in a class with 85% French people.  The only foreigners are myself, a girl from China, from Cambodia and from Spain.  In a class of 25 people, we are almost forced to work in a team with at least 2 Frenchies.

My first experience in a team was, well, lost in translation.  In the States I was the queen of leadership and team organization, toujours type A personality.  The biggest challenge was suddenly being thrown with 3 Frenchies for 3 hours to create a team presentation and project.

Their version?  Shout, debate and argue until we are exhausted enough to drag ourselves to get a coffee, drag ourselves back and argue once again until we vomit some form of work.  Luckily, I was able to organize the team enough to create an agenda, minimalize the arguing and come home with a freakin' awesome grade for my team.  Oh, if ever curious about grades, I wrote a blog on that: Grading in France, and we received an 18/20, because 20/20 only God can get, and 19/20 only teachers can get so we were 3rd.

Advice?

• Don't be afraid to Be American, make an Agenda and stick to it, even if they follow some random chemins of conversation
• Speak slow and deliberate, even if they are shouting and speaking quickly
• Understand the topic before you try and traite it

Les Partiels aka Final Exams

I got the handle on the note-taking during classes enough to start high-lighting and multi-color pen using to my heart's content.  I, however, was not prepared for the final exams.  As a girl in class warned me, Prépares-toi, j'ai reçu un 3/20 dans un examen l'année dérnière.  I gasped at that revelation and proceeded to memorize, and rememorize the material in order to simply barf it back up during the tests.

With my book size of notes I memorized facts, dates, chemins, charts, graphs, exhaustive explanations on Theories of Economics.  In French.  When the day of the test came it was like this:

1. Read this 20 page case
2. Analyse the case
3. Regurgitate any relevant information on these University marked Sheets
1. IN PEN
2. NEVER IN PENCIL
4. You have 2 hours

Oh my goodness.  By the end of the week and 6 final exams (12 hours of writing in 3 days) my hand was literally cramping, my vision was blurry and I broke down crying on the Friday.

Did it pay off? Sure, the first exam I received back was 13/20, knowing the highest grade was 15.5... so I was not a dummy American who couldn't speak French!

Advice:

• Study constantly throughout the term
• Record classes and relisten to difficult sessions (I relistened to the last two sessions)
• Use black or blue ink, white out for mistakes
• Use scrap paper to write thoughts and nice paper to rewrite
• For a week before the exams restrain from English
• GET SLEEP, staying up all night to study will not guarantee a better grade

So Now What?

Well, now, Wallstreet Institute is done, my last day, sadly, was last week.  I continue my tutoring, hoewever, pulling in an average of 8 students a week on top of classes I am taking.  I write my notes, retype my notes and relisten to classes.  My goals are to get the highest grade on one of the tests during the term, but it's only an over-achiever American hope of mine.

Next step is an Internship.   Oh LORD!

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Advice: Le Master in France

The day after mom left I had no time to be emotional, the sadness from the morning wore off as I returned to worked and drowned myself in telephone calls and student follow ups.  Quick enough that too passed and I found myself zombieing towards the direction of school to go to one of my many many classes for my Master's program in France.  That's right, after a year of intensive French via the CIEF program at Lyon II I enrolled into a specialty International Management Master under the Frenchity-French name of: Master 2 en Internationale Management des Petites et Moyens Entreprises et Entreprises Tailles Intermediares.  Simply put in our 25 people class slang, M2PMETI.

Classes officially started last week, of course I was stressing before they even begun.  I remembered the foreign students in my Business classes- how, in utmost honesty, I dreaded having them on my team because I knew we'd have to explain everything.  During roleplays we'd give them the easy role, minimalist lines and try to support them... I was going to become that foreigner.  A week before the classes were to start I already started to have nightmares, I would show up to class and suddenly all my French would disappear and I couldn't understand a word from the teacher ni the students.

Of course starting off wasn't super easy either, looking back at last week my notes are written in short-hand, scribbled nonsense sentences and sometimes a vocabulary word scratched on the top of the paper with a huge QUESTION MARK.  It was nice having some recognition for what I am doing, I kept mentioning l'importance de changer le stéréotype Américain, that, ce n'est pas juste que dans le domaine des affaires tout le monde faut parler en Anglais.  I pushed the fact that I was the only business student AMERICAN that I knew with such a fluent level and respect for the French culture.

See, most people who come over, come to sort of suck up the culture.  Learn about the literature, the gastronomy, cooking skills, methodology to teach French back in the States- I decided to utilize my strength and experience in Business and learn that aspect.

Plus a Master in France only costs like 250€ payable in 3 installements of 83€!  Calculating my Master costs in the US made my head spin- and I couldn't stand the fact I would have to rack up more debt to get an education.. so I bit the bullet and found a program that fit my goals and applied.

The interview was in July; with a lovely lady who seemed ravie that I had applied to the program.  I was the first American in a long time, I would be a great part of the program.. etc.  Plus I'd get to try and do an INTERNSHIP with a company in Lyon... which is another stress in my mind.....

Now the question, what is it like in a French Masters Program?

Well, hard of course.  There is always the language barrier- which some professors are kind and give lots of synonyms during their lectures so we foreigners understand- but unfortunately it's not always that easy.  I have one professor that talks so fast I only have a moment to digest what he said and get it until he suddenly jets off in a separate direction... I have the innate feeling he has a slight ADD... but it's dommage because he is one cute dude. (But married for those of you looking for the marriage way of staying in France).

I have a mix of classes, Business Plan classes, classes about the Industrial Economy... I think the hardest part about the information is the changing of the words.  In business the French have tried to find equivalent words for everything we already have jargon for in the States- for example a Greenfield Venture has now become ex nihilo.  WTF?

Now, probably wondering how to get all enrolled in a Master program in France?  It's quite easy:

1. Go to the Lyon 2 or Lyon 3 website and search what they offer as formations or masters
2. Pick out what you like and sign up online to deposer un candidature
3. Remember all those pesky documents: releves des notes, lettre de motivation, CV
4. Apply once all documents are ready
5. Wait for a response

If you are nervous about your carte de séjour running out- fret not because when you reapply you don't need proof of school until September.  They understand students are waiting for a response..

And word to the wise:  Don't attempt a Master's Program in France until you watch French news and understand what is going on.  Otherwise opt for an English based program (such as those offered at Lyon 3) or a language based program (such as the CIEF)

bonne chance!

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Advice: Renewing the Student Visa

I had to renew my student visa yesterday morning and WHAT AN EXPERIENCE!  I expected certain things and was surprised at others.  I also noticed there was barely any other people that wrote about this experience so I decided to give some information on the process.

First off:

There are two ways to renew your student visa:

1. Through the préfecture.
2. Through the University.

The University means less wait time- but the préfecture guarantees the timing on dropping off the paper work.

If your visa is going to expire before the results of acceptance into University- the Préfecture understands and will simply take the information you have.  When you come back to pick up the long stay visa, then you will bring in proof of schooling.

For either situation you will need the following documents:

• Your passeport.
• Copies of the following pages in your passport:
• Identification page (the 'passport' page)
• The original visa
• Stamp of entry into France the year previous
• Vignette d'OFII (the medical paper they gave you after your OFII appointment)
• Original Birth Certificate, dated less than 3 months from date of renewal.
• Copy of Original Birth Certificate
• Translation of Birth Certificate (done by a certified translator, I used a woman named Karen King in Northern France; scanned it, sent it, she translated it and then mailed it back for only 32 euros).
• Copy of Translation
• Proof of Housing:  The rent bill dated at least 3 months from the date of renewal.
• Copy of Proof of Housing
• Certificate de Scolarité from the previous year's study- this comes from when you sign up at University, they give you this paper that on the back reads:  Certificate de Scolarité.  Get one for each semester.
• Copies of the certificat de scolarité
• Grades from the previous semester (if grades are not released yet, use the FIRST semester)
• Copies of Grades from previous semester
• Proof of Ability to Take Care of Yourself; basically a Bank RIB copy (in France), Contrat de Travail (if you work), proof of WORK payments, or an attestation written by your parents stating they will pay for your studies- as well as their most recent bank statement.
• COPY of all the above.
• 3 Photos, taken from a photo shop (I used: Arsilver Photo. 5 r Barre 69002) ensure the background is off white, light gray- NOT WHITE- they will not accept WHITE.

Those are all the documents she ended up taking from me, even though I brought a whole bunch more. The list of needed documents are also available through the préfecture website:

http://www.rhone.gouv.fr/web/94-etudiants.php

Furthermore, you will need to go to the préfecture in the 3ème, next door to the Commercial Center Part-Dieu: 12 rue des Cuirassiers.  NOTE:  GET IN LINE EARLY.  GET THERE AT 8:30am IF YOU WANT TO GET SERVED ON TIME.  I had to wait 3 HOURS.

You pass through the 'accueil' and take a ticket.  Tell them you are there for a "renouvellement de visa étudiant".  They will hand you a ticket, go up stairs, wait in the THIRD HALL.

After the woman calls you up, simply show her your visa, state you are renewing your visa and begin to give the documents as she asks for them.  After this, she will take your photo, attach it to a paper... which will extend your visit for another 3 months...

Your new visa will arrive in 6-8 weeks, there is no reference or notification... so you have to simply wait for 8 weeks and come by the same place to see if it has arrived.

Voila!

It's a lot simpler than in the states...

Job Interview & Babyspeaking

Oh joy of all joys, today I had the chance to interview with a real company for a real position.  It's a company based out of Paris that specialises in teaching and working with young children.  If any of you are looking for a job, don't hesitate; it's called "Baby Speaking" and honestly, it's legit.

I found it by chance surfing around, doing the daily toll of trying to find a job or something to do... I already go to school, but as most expatriates from America can understand, it's not "right" if you're not running around constantly busy.  I grew up in a culture where we work full-time as well as going to school.  I already have about 4 years real-world business experience... I need a job.  I've been out of the loop for about a year now, and it is driving me bonkers.  I need to feel that pressure... I mean I didn't specialize in business because it was a random choice, I. Love. To. Work.

I thank the French government for feeding into my lazy addiction.  The French system entitles us to a maximum of a 35 hour work week, obligatory pay for sick time, up to 6 months off for pregnancies- and hey, if you are a student, come to the CAF and we'll subsidize your rent.  You feel depressed?  Get it in writing and you don't have to work this week!

The leisure is gnawing on my brain, my hardened American work ethic is beginning to soften... kind of like the beer belly of ethic.  So.  Even though I had no idea what or who this company was, I sent off my CV and my information in the hopes that I would catch something.

A few months later, I got the call.  Interview set up.  Thursday, 13h30, at a... wait what?  Café?  Okkaayy..

I get there during lunch hour, and it was very busy.  I wandered up to the bar, and flashed my "International Get Your Way" smile and asked the bartender where was the "entretien pour Babyspeaking".. I felt kind of weird asking, but he quickly replied, and pointed in the direction of the guy.  Antoine.  I ordered up a coffee, hung out and listened to the bustle of the café, it was not only my first interview in France, but my first café in the middle of the day experience.  Everyone was shouting out orders of coffees, macarons... one guys ordered up the special.  A table behind me was packed with professionals on lunch hour, sipping their mini coffees and snacking on their salads.  It felt so right, I felt.. like a French worker!

As quickly as they came, my form was filled out, my turn came and it seemed the inevitable end of lunch arrived as well.  Everyone lined the cash register to pay, the bartender all smiles giving discounts to friends, ensuring everyone enjoyed themselves.  Silence filled the café and my interview started.  Poor poor Antoine.  For those who know me, they know I am quite the talker.  Despite my slow down, I found myself rolling out the puns, flashing smiles and being an American.  French interview is less small talk, less smiles and more facts, questions, to the point.  It is almost like meeting your boyfriend's parents for the first time, trying to balance the polite nods, slow response and smiling while not looking crazy.

But let me tell you, this guy is professional all the way.  I filled out my little form, a little weary of the position, but the minute I sat down and talked with Antoine; I was at ease.  He described the company Babyspeaking, it started 2 years ago, he is one of the founders and as it has been a great success in Paris, they are now looking to expand to Lyon.  He obliged my big American smiles and even my quips (which were not laughed at.. I was hoping for at least a smirk) and politely answered my questions.

The position is simple, a babysitter or nanny.  You work directly with families, you babysit their child but you do it in English.  The less French you speak, the better!  The pay is very lucrative and I say it's gonna be a success.. We discussed, and, of course, it'll start slow... but as time goes on and that whole "word of mouth" spreads, this company is gonna make it.

If you want to apply you can either go directly to their site (state me as a reference, it'll look even better), or email me and I'll pass along your information.

Job starts in early January, based in Lyon, great pay, great founders... really its legit!

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Culture Shock: French Grading System

It's that dreaded week in Lyon where all the students are getting back tests that count for 50% of our grades.  These difficult tests that comprise of written and even oral examinations based on information that is supposed to be memorized and regurgitated exactly as said.

The teacher begins by describing how some of us really sucked at the test and failed with a really awful note.  He continues to rant on about the abilities we have to do better, some of us truly shined and many are in the middle.  He is disappointed and he is proud.

In America we sweat it out, and receive it.  The highest note a person can get is 100%; if a test, for example, is worth 20 points, a student could receive 20/20.  Sometimes even more.  This sets up American Expatriates- such as myself- to be shocked at the French system.  It even led a fellow American friend of mine to cry at her 'awful horrible grade'.

The Middle
The middle in the French Grading system is always based on 20- so the middle, AKA passing is 10/20.  There are no letter grade "A" or "B".  Simply a number out of 20.  10/20 means you are passing, but maybe just sliding by.  (C)

Failure
Failure comes in under 10... if you received 9/20 or below.. you have failed.  (F)

Good Grade
Good grade is 10/20 to 15/20.  15 is on the edge of a very good grade- an American equivalent to B to A-.

My poor friend cried when she saw 11/20; she didn't understand the culture and worse she couldn't.  We are so conditioned to our 20/20's that we can't get a 11/20 being a good thing.

Awesome
An AWESOME grade would be anything 16/20 and above.  This is a solid A in American standards.

You Cannot Get 20
No matter how hard you try, you'll never be able to get 20.  It's the whole French paradoxical rating system... they set the bar so high so it will always be a little under.  If you tell a French person you want a 20/20, they will laugh, then say, 'bon chance' and laugh some more.

So.  To sum it up:

9/20 and below:  F
10/20 to 12/20: C
13/20 to 15/20: B
16/20 and up: A

Betcha you're wondering how I did?

I'm averaging 17/20 on my tests.. which is very very good.  Most of this is due to the fact that my level n the CIEF is a little below my tasting.  Either way that makes for lots of French practice and easy As!

Advice: The CIEF Program at Lyon 2

Monday I started my CIEF classes.  CIEF is a program offered by Lyon Lumière II, which specializes in only French classes.

CIEF stands for:  Centre Internationale d'Études Français

It's a program specifically designed for international people (students or not) who want to learn the French language.  There are differing levels, differing intensities and a variety of classes to compliment the basics.

ALSO...

It's a great way to get a student visa, a great way to enter into France (without having to really know French).  I can speak very well, I know a lot of vocabulary and I can live here without a hitch.. but they offer all levels for different types of people.

If you were looking for a way to enter into France to study.. or maybe even prepare to go to university here (it's free) following completion of the CIEF.. it's a wonderful thing.  I inscribed in January, got an acceptance by February... and was able to get my student visa that way, through this program.

You start with a big round of testing, the first is a written test (they give two subjects, you write on it), the second is an oral test (you sit with a professor for about 10 minutes and describe a random subject) and the final a computer test (which is a combination hearing/reading understanding test).  This takes about a week.

I took the tests and got into a B1- which means I rocked something, then screwed up something else.  I find it to be my writing capabilities as well as my grammar... I speak very well, understand great.. but damn those French grammatical rules.  I was aiming for a B2, but I knew that I had weak points in my writing.

The levels of the CIEF look like this:

A1 - You know not one word of french or french structure, you usually say, "bonjour"... that's all.
A2 - You can make simple phrases, maybe use the present tense of verbs, get around France
B1 - You are able to speak to people and be understood, but you mess up in structure or rules
B2 - You are able to speak, understand and maybe your structure rocks- but you need to know some more complicated French verbs
C1 - You can live in France no problem, it's simply a class to improve your linguistic abilities and expand on your current knowledge.
C2 - You probably are looking to become a teacher in French.

After you get your level, you get a schedule.. mine looks like this:

So I have about 3-6 hours total of grammaire/written lessons, about 1.5 hours of oral practice,  1.5 hours of 'familiar french' which is slang, 1.5 hours of business French...

It's about 17 hours a week.. which is pretty intense.. but it's definitely worth it to sit and hear French continuously throughout the day.

I am doing the semi-intensif program, which is about €1020, and 210 hours a term.  The other option is €1300 or so a term and it's about 20 more hours.

My classes are going well so far.. I find them a bit easy- but there are some classes that are very beneficial in this level.. like the slang class or the business class... plus tons and tons of grammar.

I'd recommend it!

Here's the website for more information:  CIEF Website

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Advice: Benefits of Being a Student in France

France likes to take care of their students, which means there are a lot of discounts for students to do cultural things, pay for transportation and even get financial aid.  Allow me to 'partager' some wonderful benefits...




Cultural Passes
There are a lot of cultural passes available for students... available on the Lyon Culture website.  I'd like to highlight some of these and what their benefits are: 

La Carte Musée (the museum card)

Price:  €16

Amount of Usage:  One year from date of purchase

Details:  Allows you to visit the 6 museums around Lyon.. as listed on the website.. as much as you want in one year.

• Musée d'Art Contemporain  (attention : la carte n’est pas valable au Musée pendant toute la durée de la Biennale d’art contemporain, jusqu’au 3 janvier 2010)
• Musée des Beaux-Arts
• Musée Gadagne
• Musée de l’Imprimerie
• Musée de l’Automobile Henri Malartre
• Centre d'Histoire de la Résistance et de la Déportation

How to Purchase: Go to any of the 6 locations with a photo of yourself and prove of being a student, command for the 'carte musée'.

Le Pass'Culture (culture pass)

Price: €16

Amount of Usage: 4 shows at any of the locations on the list following..

Details: Make reservation ahead of time (at least one week before) to use one of the four passes.

• Auditorium de Lyon,
• Complexe du rire,
• Espace Gerson,
• Espace 44,
• Les Subsistances,
• Maison de la Danse,
• Nouveau Théâtre du 8ème,
• Opéra de Lyon,
• Théâtre des Ateliers,
• Théâtre des Célestins,
• Théâtre de la Croix-Rousse,
• Théâtre des Marronniers,
• Théâtre Nouvelle Génération,
• Théâtre du Point du Jour,
• Théâtre National Populaire
• Théâtre des Clochards Célestes
• et Festival Nuits sonores (1/2 tarif appliqué).

Nouveau cette année :

• Choeur et Orchestre XIX - Direction Jean-Philippe Dubor
• Institut Lumière
• Théâtre de l'Elysée
• Périscope
• Théâtre Guignol de Lyon

How to Purchase: at Lyon Campus, 25 rue Jaboulay Lyon 7ème
Au CROUS de Lyon, 59 rue de la Madeleine, Lyon 7ème 9-12h00 et 14-16h00  BY CHECK ONLY


La CarteD
Price: Free
Amount of Usage: Unknown
Details: For use at any of the following, make reservation...

• Le théâtre des Marronniers
• Le théâtre des Clochards Célestes
• L'Espace 44 (théâtre)
• Le théâtre de l’Elysée
• A Thou bout d'chant (café-concert - chanson française)
• Le Marché Gare (salle de concert)
• Le Croiseur (théâtre et danse)
• Le Périscope (salle de concert)
• 6ème Continent (musiques du monde)
• L'Ecole de Cirque de Lyon

Details:  Go to any of the above on the list with atudent proof and ask for 'La Carte D' which should give you a discount card.

Pass 2 places, 4 spectacles
Price: €28
Amount of Usage: 4 times, in the following:

• 
  
  
  A Thou Bout d’Chant (chanson),
• 
  
  
  Théâtre des Clochards Célestes (Théâtre)

Details: Call 04 72 07 63 81 ou 04 78 28 35 19 for more information.


Le Pass Culturel Kiblind
Price: €50
Amount of Usage: 15 times during one year, one in each of the following:

• La Renaissance
• Le Nouveau Théâtre du 8e
• Les Ateliers
• Le Toboggan
• L’Iris
• Le Théâtre Nouvelle Génération
• Le Comœdia
• Le Zola
• L’Institut
• Lumière
• Le Clacson
• Le Hot Club de Lyon
• Le Marché Gare
• L'Amphiopéra
• L’Épicerie Moderne
• L’Institut d’art contemporain

Details: do the inscription for this online:  at Kiblind Website, allows one ticket for each of the above in one year.

L'auditorium in Lyon

Price: €6.00 a month, paid at once, so €72.00

Amount of Usage: An entire year of free entrance... about 50 shows.

Specifically for the auditorium in Lyon, usually a selection of classical music.

Details: Inscribe on the internet, choose all your dates, pay online for the year.  Here's the website.

Les pass' de l'Opéra de Lyon

Price: €5.00

Amount of Usage: Works for a year, one show per spectacle, per date.

Specifically for the Opera Lyon in the 1er arrondissement.

Details:  Purchase at the ticket counter, as for the "Pass'Opéra" for less than 26 years old.. if you are older there are other passes.  Entitles to 50% off of front row tickets, and only €10 for any show in the C-D-E rows.  Available according to what room there is.  Read More.






Eating/Food Discounts
Depending on where you go, normally near the center (near croix-russe, near place Terreaux, near Bellecour) many of the food places offer special menus for students. Example, show a student ID, get a meal at BIEH (Best Burger I Ever Had) with french fries, burger, drink and dessert for only €10.




Transportation Discounts
Discounts on TCL and Velo'v.  A TCL monthly pass is only €22, while a yearly pass is only €187 euro. Velo'v is the same price, but still cheap at only €15 a year.


Keep your eyes peeled, if you are a student, and find the other great deals...


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Advice: OFII Appointment in Lyon

Today at exactly 9h, or 9am, I had an appointment for my Carte de Séjour at the OFII office here in Lyon.

Because I couldn't find CRAP for resources regarding this process I'd like to share what I learned from the very beginning of my entrance to France to my current proud Carte de Séjour.  This is for those of you who are going on a self-exchange and maybe don't have a personal translator to drag around.


Step 1:  Entry into France
When you enter into France, make sure they stamp your passport, preferably above your Student Visa (makes it easier to photo copy later).  If you come by train from any of the other countries, either as the ticket checker --> "S'il vous plaît, valider mon passeporte"  And then offer the passport and point, he should stamp it.  By train from London, the validation happens when you go through border control... no problem.


Step 2:  Send Information to OFII
Next step is to take that lovely paper the Consulate gave you and fill it out correctly, ALL IN CAPITAL LETTERS.  It's stuff like your address and phone number, make sure if you don't have some type of proof you live somewhere put this:

(your name)
Chez blahblah   <-- the address of who you are living or staying with, that way you can use their proof.
address

The paper states it needs a copy of your passeporte page and a copy of your visa page as well as a copy of the "validation", which is the entry stamp.  Take all this information, go down to the post office and ask for this:

Je voudrais une lettre recommandée avec avis de réception

That is pretty much a return stamped envelope.  You fill out your sending address, and then their address which in Lyon, France is:

Direction Territoriale de l'OFII
7 rue Quivogne
69286, Lyon, CEDEX 02

 Make sure before you send it that all the information you filled out is correct, you signed it and... all copies are inside.  Seal it, pay €10-15 and send it off to it's destination.

WARNING:  This needs to be sent and done before 3 months of you being in France, so if you come in June, you need to have this information send by September.


Step 3:  Check your Mail Daily
The next step can take between 2 weeks and 2 months depending on their work load; but next is a letter sent from the OFII to you.  You will receive two different letters, the first will have a paper in pink with the word "herbergement" and a letter saying they got your letter.  The second letter will have the date/time to be at the OFII office, which also includes a doctor's appointment and a notification you need to buy something called a timbres.  If there is a problem with the date or time, you will need to call the OFII office, or even better head down there and explain.  For me, it interacted with a Spanish holiday I planned, so I went down and the woman was incredibly nice and said a new letter with a new date/time would be sent.


Step 4:  Buy the Stamp
The stamp, or timbres fiscal is the taxes owed to the government for doing the service of holding your file and your name.  It's kind of bull, but you can get social services as a student, so, all the power to the stamp.  To buy it you'll need to go to a place like a large Tabac or the trésorie in Bellecour... Here's where I went:

La Pipe Tabac..

View Larger Map

Right near my home and the university.  The easiest way is to bring in the letter and point to the stamp... it's a €55 OMI timbres fiscal So, after you buy it, DON'T LOSE IT.


Step 5:  Appointment

You will need:

• Hebergement declaration: the pink paper that says where you live, and the person signs for it.
• Copy of the Person You are Staying With's ID: To prove, yes, they exist
• A small photo of yourself: Like what you used for the Visa
• Copy of the rent bill, phone bill, electric bill
• The convocation letter OFII sent you
• € 55 Timbres Fiscale stamp
• Your Passport

Very easy.  You go to the address (the 7 rue quivogne, which is just across the bridge from the 7ème) and you go up to the first floor.

Hand the woman your letter of convocation and passport, and she will say, "Assiez-vous, on vous parlera" =  sit down, we'll call your name.

The first person to call the name is a radiologist, she'll have you walk into a small room and will say quickly that you need to take off your shirt, and if you're a woman- your bra.  I got confused because in French a bra is a "soutien-gorge" so I thought she wanted me to do something with my neck, but I got smart and assumed she meant my bra.  Smart.

You face the machine thing, so your back is out, hands behind back and take a deep breath when she snaps the radio photo.

Next she'll say merci and send you to wait again.

The next person to call you will be the person that weighs you, and then gives you some information about hospitals and free testing.  Then, go out and wait with your radiography photos.

The third person is the final person, the doctor.  You simply follow her/him back, she'll kind of poke at your tummy, listen to your heart, take your blood pressure and ask you if you've been immunized for, "tetanus, hepatitus B, mumps" and how long it's been.

Then you go out, wait, then give the woman at the desk your picture, stamp, proof of living and the copy of identification... she'll put everything together...

Follow her downstairs, to this office, wait a moment and there it is!

Super easy, we were out within 40 minutes!