Eva(26)

Toulouse is the aerospace capital of Europe. Airbus, CNES (the French space agency), Thales Alenia Space — they're all here. As an aspiring aerospace engineer the choice was logical: a master's at ISAE-SUPAERO, one of the best grandes écoles for aerospace. The admission was tough — dossier, motivation letter, technical test and interview — but I was accepted.

French higher education is different from the Dutch system. Grandes écoles are elite schools with strict selection but low tuition fees: €601 per year as an EU student. You can also apply for a scholarship from CROUS (Centre Régional des Œuvres Universitaires). I received a grant based on my parents' income plus a room in a résidence universitaire for €250 per month. In Nijmegen I paid €550.

Student life in Toulouse is fantastic. The city has 130,000 students out of 500,000 inhabitants — it's a true student city. The Place du Capitole is the heart, with cafés, restaurants and live music every evening. The BDE (Bureau des Étudiants) at SUPAERO organizes weekly soirées, sports tournaments and weekend trips to the Pyrenees. The integration week (semaine d'intégration) was more intense than any initiation in the Netherlands.

I found my internship through the school's carnet d'adresses — the alumni network. I did a six-month stage de fin d'études at Airbus in Blagnac. The compensation was €1,200 per month (legal minimum for internships longer than two months). The work was challenging: I worked on the aerodynamics of the A321XLR. After the internship they offered me a CDI — I start in September.

The CAF was a lifesaver for my budget. As a student in France you're entitled to APL (aide personnalisée au logement) — housing benefit. I received €180 per month, bringing my effective rent to €70. The application goes through caf.fr and takes two months. Tip: apply immediately upon arrival, as it's not retroactive.

My advice to Dutch students: choose France. The grandes écoles offer world-class education for a fraction of what you'd pay in England or the US. Student life is richer, networks are stronger and employment afterwards is excellent — especially in Toulouse for aerospace. Learn French before you come (B1 minimum) and register at the mairie and CPAM. It's bureaucratic, but it's the investment of a lifetime.