DISCOVER YOUR CITY

Campus will guide you through your first steps in France and exploring , your new home.

WELCOME TO CAEN Rubrik C (91) - Photos: DR - Cover photo: ©celia, Fotolia.com - JULY 2021. - JULY photo: ©celia, Fotolia.com Rubrik (91) - Photos: DR Cover C Production: YOUR ARRIVAL HOUSING IN CAEN / IN CAEN /

A One-Stop, multi-service Welcome Desk for There are numerous solutions for housing in foreign students enrolled at Université de Caen Caen: Student-only accommodations managed by Normandie (UNICAEN) CROUS, student housing and private residences, and rooms in private homes. What’s most important is to take care of this as The UNICAEN Carré International is tasked early as possible, before your arrival. with welcoming the university’s international • Le Carré international offers housing search students. assistance to international students enrolled at Year round Le Carré International offers: Université de Caen Normandie. Its International - support in your administrative procedures Publics Hub (SPI) will assist and support you during (enrollments, residence permits, social the length of your stay. Contact the team: benefits, bank accounts) [email protected] - housing assistance • The CRIJ de Normandie (Centre Régional - preparation for university study in the French d’Information Jeunesse, the regional youth language information center) also has tips on finding housing. - a cultural approach (outings and visits, Address: CRIJ, 16 rue Neuve Saint-Jean, sponsorships, thematic evenings) 14000 Caen. - a bridging diploma to facilitate exiled Contact: 02 31 27 80 80 or [email protected] students return to studies (DUPEX) Site: http://www.crijnormandie.fr/ - a Buddy System for support when you arrive in Caen, in partnership with the Erasmus & A FEW TIPS Internationals in Caen (EIC) association: http://eicaen.fr/ Short-term housing • The Caen youth hostel located near the city center. Address: 68 rue Eustache Restout, 14000 Caen. Address: Contact: 02 31 52 19 96. Université de Caen Normandie, Maison des Langues Site: https://www.hifrance.org/ et de l’International, Campus 1, Building i (MLi), esplanade de la Paix, 14000 Caen. • Other types of residences with hotel services: Free access (Office Li 104): from Monday to Check out the Caen Visitor Center site which Thursday, 9am to 12pm and 1.30pm to 4pm. has a list and inventory of all types of housing: Contact: [email protected] https://www.caenlamer-tourisme.fr > menu> Bilingual site: séjourner&dormir > tous les hébergements http://international.unicaen.fr/bienvenue Long-term housing Welcome and orientation in other institutions • The Normandie CROUS student housing (Centre If you are enrolled in another institution, please Régional des Œuvres Universitaires - Regional consult the Campus France website for orientation. Center for University Services). The site presents a series of Information Sheets Address: 23 avenue de Bruxelles, 14000 Caen. covering the different higher learning institutions: General Reception: Monday to Friday, 9am to https://www.campusfrance.org > Etudiants 12:15pm and 1:15pm to 4pm. > Ressources documentaires > Informations Contact: 02 31 56 63 00 (switchboard). pratiques pour les étudiants > Dispositifs d’accueil Service bourses et logement (Financial Resources des établissements and Housing Office) If you cannot find your school in this list, then go - Telephone helpline: from 9:00am to 5:00pm directly to their website. 02 30 08 02 14. - Hours: Monday to Thursday, 1:15pm to 4pm. National Services Site: http://www.crous-caen.fr > Logement - students: www.etudiant.gouv.fr The website Trouver un logement: - doctoral students, researchers: https://trouverunlogement.lescrous.fr/ http://www.euraxess.fr/fr

2 On campus, the CROUS also manages all low-cost food services (university restaurants, cafeterias, FIRST THINGS food-trucks, etc.). FIRST / • Private Housing Platforms ENROLLMENT IN YOUR INSTITUTION Some Caen establishments are members of Studapart, a platform specialized in private housing CVEC for students: https://www.studapart.com/ > Rechercher par ville > Découvrez toutes nos villes Before you can enroll in your institution, you must > Caen download proof of payment of the Contribution Vie Etudiante et de Campus (CVEC) – the student and Other student residences, managed by private campus life contribution fee. companies, are also available in Caen. Try these - Log in at: https://cvec.etudiant.gouv.fr/ sites: - For additional information and special cases: - https://www.adele.org/ https://www.campusfrance.org > Getting Organized - https://www.immojeune.com/ > CVEC - https://www.location-etudiant.fr/ - https://housinganywhere.com/fr/ Confirm Registration • There is also Lokaviz, a site managed by Take note! Even if you have a pre-registration letter, CROUS, which includes a listing of student you are not officially enrolled. accommodations in private homes: You must validate your enrollment with the https://www.lokaviz.fr/ institution’s Service de la Scolarité (Admissions) • Shared Leases: Consult La Carte des Colocs, a as soon as you arrive. national site for shared leases that’s free and simple to use: https://www.lacartedescolocs.fr/ • Other solutions available on the Campus France site: www.campusfrance.org > Students > Getting GETTING AROUND Organized > Accommodation CAEN If you need a guarantor to secure your lodging Visale is a new and free guarantor system: Before your arrival, consult the Université de www.visale.fr Caen’s practical information sheet which will guide you based on where you arrive: If you want to file an application for APL funds http://international.unicaen.fr > étudier à (Aide Personnalisée au Logement, or personalized Caen > comment arriver à Caen housing aid) At Caen-la-Mer, the Twisto Atoumod card is CAF (Caisse des Allocations Familiales) can check a single fare card which can be used across your eligibility: 08.10.29.29.29 or www.caf.fr the Twisto network: https://www.twisto.fr/ > Titres et abonnements > Nouvelle billettique > If you need housing adapted to your special La carte Twisto Atoumod needs In the department, use the Bus Verts du Contact the CROUS Service Social (Social Services) bus network: https://www.busverts.fr/ which will take action with your institution. Some establishments have specialized services for There are regional trains for getting around students with disabilities (assistance for housing, : and also transportation and tuition). https://www.ter.sncf.com/normandie Buses are also an option for low-cost travel: At Université de Caen, contact the Relais Handicap https://fr.ouibus.com/ or Santé: http://vie-etudiante.unicaen.fr/ > Vie https://www.flixbus.fr/ étudiante & Culture > Santé- Handicap > Handicap For ride-sharing, consult the collaborative site https://www.blablacar.fr For greater independence, rent a bike (traditional or electric) with Twisto Vélo: https://www.twisto.fr/ > Réseau Twisto > Nos mobilités > Twisto vélo

3 RESIDENCE PERMIT (TITRE DE SÉJOUR) PRACTICAL INFORMATION / GOOD TO KNOW • If you have arrived in France with a VLS-TS OPENING A BANK ACCOUNT long-term student visa: you must validate If you stay in France for more than 3 months, it it online upon your arrival and imperatively will be much easier day-to-day if you open a bank within the first three months of your stay account, online or in one of the 110 bank agencies (in France) on the ANEF (Administration located in Caen. numérique pour les étrangers en France) website: https://administration-etrangers-en- In France, opening a bank account is a right: france.interieur.gouv.fr www.service-public.fr > Argent > Comptes bancaires> Droit au compte • If you are an Algerian national or a student with a “Concours” (tests) visa» or a visa with the indication “Carte à solliciter dans les deux HEALTHCARE mois” (Residency permit is to be requested In France, receiving medical treatment is practically within 2 months of entry): your residency free but you must be insured. Accordingly, signing permit application has to be made at the up for medical insurance is mandatory. Prefecture. • If you hold a “mineur scolarisé” (enrolled minor) visa and you attained the age of Login to the site majority, you have to request for a “Titre de https://etudiant-etranger.ameli.fr site to séjour” online on the ANEF website or at the register, to understand your eligibility and prefecture where you live within 2 months benefits, and to take the necessary steps. following your majority. https://administration-etrangers-en-france. interieur.gouv.fr Learn more: https://www.campusfrance.org > Getting Organized Take note : To renew your student residency > Health permit “Titre de séjour” (VLS-TS), your request must be done during the 3rd month before the As a student, you can also take advantage of expiration date of your current “Titre de séjour” the university medical services. In these health (permit) on the website: https://administration- services where consultations are free, you’ll be etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr greeted by a team of doctors, nurses, and social workers who can give personalized advice in terms This tutorial will help you: of health and prevention. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=j_suMJ3fIiw&list=PLpm2evF1qaJe_ This is the case for Université de Caen Normandie oq0a-LMIKujAihwAtVEy&index=16 which has a health and prevention service: Service Universitaire de Médecine Préventive et de Promotion de la Santé (SUMPPS). Address: SUMPPS, Campus 1, • To find out more about rights and obligations: 47 avenue de Bruxelles, 14000 Caen. The reception services of your establishment can Contact: 02 31 56 52 30 or [email protected] guide you in the event of difficulties. Site: http://vie-etudiante.unicaen.fr/sante-handicap/ www.service-public.fr > Etranger > Titre de séjour et document de circulation (Foreigners > Resident Card and Travel Document)

4 SIGN UP FOR ADDITIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE THINGS TO DO You can also sign up for top-up insurance which will IN CAEN / cover all health expenses not covered by the free and compulsory health insurance. TAKE UP A SPORT Take note: The plans and coverage levels differ In your institution, contact the Service des Sports from one company to another. To choose a top-up for free access to sports facilities. insurance policy which meets your needs and your budget, you can compare student health insurance For Students enrolled at UNICAEN, the SUAPS plans on the Internet. (Service Universitaire des Activités Physiques et Sportives, or university office for physical and sports HOUSING INSURANCE activities) presents a wide range of activities: http:// vie-etudiante.unicaen.fr/ > Vie étudiante & culture > In France, housing insurance is mandatory. Sport > Activités proposées You can sign up for housing insurance called “garantie risques locatifs” - rental risk guarantee - at In Caen, you can also find an activity including your bank or a private insurance company. Online nautical sports, from among the numerous sports subscription is often possible. facilities managed by the City. Visit: https://caen.fr/sport

BE ACTIVE SAMU: Call 15 Emergency Medical Services Attend cultural and sporting events, or join a social Police emergency: Call 17 in the event of or community group, through one of the numerous violence, theft, robbery. local or national student clubs and associations. Fire Department: Call 18 in the event of fire, To learn more, check with your school (Service gas leak, water damage, natural catastrophe, or de la vie étudiante - Student Services) or visit the traffic accident. following sites: www.animafac.net Call 112: European emergency services or www.letudiant.fr number that’s accessible from anywhere in At Université de Caen Normandie, in collaboration the European Union in addition to the French with the CROUS, the Maison des Étudiants (student numbers above. union), has an associations hub, an area dedicated to student associations. Address and phone number: Maison de l'étudiant, LEARNING FRENCH Université de Caen, Campus 1, 02 31 56 60 96. Website: https://www.crous-normandie.fr/service/ Learning French is an opportunity that’s not to be maison-de-letudiant/ missed! Find what works best for you: - by consulting the Campus France site or the In Caen, there are local associations which put Français Langue Etrangère (FLE) - French as a international students in contact with local families. foreign language - centers and universities which - Bienvenue à Caen: [email protected] offer courses at all levels year-round: -CQ2 on Facebook http://ecolesdete.campusfrance.org -France Etats-Unis: - by asking in your institution, at city hall, or in your http://www.france-etatsunis.org/ host city’s Maison des Associations - community centers.

FINDING A JOB OR AN INTERNSHIP 2 addresses: • the Normandy CRIJ, the regional youth information center, can present several leads and publishes classified ads online: http://www.crijnormandie.fr/ • the Jobaviz website, run by the CROUS, can help you find a student job compatible with your studies: http://www.jobaviz.fr/

5 GAINING CULTURE AND PARTYING TOP Caen offers many ways to cultivate yourself or ATTRACTIONS / party. Movie theaters, concerts, theaters, museums, exhibitions, and festivals are on the program and most of the time, at reduced cost for students: • The Caen Memorial Museum for Peace and http://caen.fr/ > Bouger, découvrir > Culture History is near the D-Day landing beaches, a large space dedicated to the Battle of Normandy and the For entertainment or to pick up some culture, you Second World War (student rates) can choose from: - 2 multiplex theaters (student rates, rewards card) • William the Conqueror’s medieval castle and 2 art-house theaters with screenings on the • Abbaye aux Hommes (The Abbey of Saint-Etienne UNICAEN Campus I. also known as the Men’s Abbey) and Abbaye aux - 4 major museums including the Caen Memorial Dames (The Abbey of Sainte Trinité also known Museum, a must-see (student rates): as the Ladies’ Abbey) where William and his wife https://www.memorial-caen.fr/ Mathilde spent their final days. - 10 performance centers including the Théâtre de • the Normandy Museum, a panorama of life in the Caen rebuilt after World War II. Normandy area (student rate). - around twenty book shops: Caen is the city of book shops! • the Fine Arts Museum, located within the Caen - an important network of libraries and multi-media Castle, is one of the largest in France (student rate). libraries throughout the region: • the quartier du Vaugueux in Caen’s old town with http://bibliotheques.caenlamer.fr/ its timbered houses and many restaurants. • In Caen, for going out or staying abreast of current • La Colline aux Oiseaux, a 17-hectare park located events, consult: to the north of the city. - the major daily regional paper, Ouest-France: Learn (and see) more: https://www.ouest-france.fr/ > Communes > Caen https://www.caenlamer-tourisme.fr/ - the daily paper, La Manche Libre: https://www.lamanchelibre.fr/ - the Liberté Facebook page for this Caen weekly - Caen Visitor Center agenda: https://www.caenlamer-tourisme.fr/ > Evénements

6 IMPORTANT SEPTEMBER • Journées du Patrimoine (heritage days), free visits ANNUAL EVENTS / of cultural venues. OCTOBER MARCH • World Student Night, an essential event for • Le Carnaval Étudiant, the largest student carnival international students at the start of the school year in Europe with 30,000 participants • La Fête de la Science, a science festival in the APRIL university laboratories. • Festival Des Planches et des Vaches, meetings • Les Boréales, a festival which showcases the and performances organized around comic books culture of Nordic countries. MAY • The Nuit Européenne des Musées (European Museum Night), an occasion to visit museums differently (and for free). JUNE • Normandy World Forum for Peace, organized every year by the Normandy Region in parallel with the June 6, 1944, Allied D-Day landing commemoration festivities (numerous free activities and festive events): https://www.normandie.fr/ > Les grands projets > Normandie pour la paix > Forum mondial Normandie pour la Paix. • Fête de la Musique: Music everywhere in town (free concerts). • Les Courants de la Liberté, a sporting event which brings together thousands of runners JULY - AUGUST • Festival Beauregard, a festival of contemporary music • Eclat(s) de Rue, an art festival takes to the streets. • Les Sables Animés, free events organized on the beaches around Caen to explore water and beach sports

To stay informed and attuned to others and the world, to share and dialogue with students, follow social media where Campus France has an especially strong presence! Don’t forget to join the France Alumni network. Take part in SHARE discussion groups on various subjects, take advantage of PARTICIPATE cultural outings, and consult job and internship offers.

7 THINGS TO KNOW

CAEN NORMANDIE METROPOLITAN CAEN, AREA: ADMINISTRATIVE CAPITAL OF residents CALVADOS, one of the 270,000 5 departments which CITY OF CAEN: make up the Normandy Region residents, half the 110,000 population is under 30

Université de Caen Normandie: NORMANDY REGION, th 29,000 10 FRENCH students across 6 university REGION in terms of sites and 11 campuses, hosting foreign students 2,500 international (10,000 foreign students representing students) 120 nationalities, 43 research centers, 7 PhD schools

th CAEN, RANKED 18 (out of 44) FRENCH CITIES WHERE IT’S GOOD TO LIVE AND STUDY (awarded by L’Étudiant magazine) WITH TWO GOOD MARKS FOR THE QUALITY OF ITS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND STUDENT/CAMPUS LIFE

Most of the information presented in the Campus France City Information Sheets concerns all international students regardless of their institution. In France, in each of the host cities, most foreign students study at universities. Accordingly, the City Information Sheets attach great importance to them without overlooking the other higher education institutions even if it is not possible to list them all here with their specific information. For more information on the institutions’ welcomes and orientations: https://www.campusfrance.org/fr/recherche/categorie/normandie-462

CAMPUS FRANCE 28 rue de la Grange aux Belles, 75010 - 01 40 40 58 58 - www.campusfrance.org Rubrik C (91) - Photos: DR - Cover photo: ©celia, Fotolia.com - JULY 2021. - JULY photo: ©celia, Fotolia.com Rubrik (91) - Photos: DR Cover C Production: