Housing
Housing Assignments for all programs
(except London-Paris Architecture Program, see LP housing.)
Students will live in a French household or residence hall. There are trade-offs with both. In the residence hall, you have the advantages of a private room, complete independence, and the additional assets of community living, including the proximity of friends. You also have the restrictions associated with dormitory living, and the drawbacks of not living in an exclusively French-language environment. In a household, you will have your own room and will be in a French-speaking environment, which can be an enriching experience. You must respect the lifestyle of the hosts and adapt to their personal characteristics. We will try to meet your first choice in housing but we have a very limited number of dormitory spaces each year. Placement is based on the information you provide on the Housing Questionnaire that you received with your acceptance packet. We cannot overemphasize the necessity of submitting your housing questionnaire as soon as possible. Every effort is made to place you in an environment corresponding to your interests and preferences. However, we cannot guarantee your first choice, and some flexibility is required of all students.
French Household
French households which host Boston University students vary in size, age, and lifestyle. Some are middle-aged couples with children; others, widows; still others, single mothers, and so on. We do not place you in a household with the expectation that you will become a family member. Rather, we place you in a household to facilitate your language acquisition and to integrate you into French society and culture. You will have your own room with access to the kitchen. One meal per week is included. You will have a lot of autonomy and the amount of contact with your French hosts will depend, in large part, on your own effort. All are metro-accessible within Paris or the near suburbs. Remember that although you will be a paying guest, it is best not to think of your French home as a hotel. Instead, think of yourself as a guest and a boarder. Keep your room neat, make your bed, clean up the bathroom and kitchen after each use. These may seem like obvious points, but they do mean a great deal to the people with whom you will be living.
French household/ student agreement
Student evaluation of homestay
Evaluation pour la famille d’accueil
Brandon & Andreas chez Madame P. Christine chez Monsieur et Madame D.
Student Residence Hall: La Fondation des Etats-Unis
The Fondation des Etats-Unis is located in the southern part of Paris in the 14th arrondissement and is extremely convenient to the Métro, a two-minute walk across the street. The Fondation is part of an international complex known as the Cité Universitaire with each building corresponding to a different country.
The Fondation des Etats-Unis is, first and foremost, a French residence hall. It has many positive points such as big, single rooms with an individual sink, closet, desk, phone, voicemail and mini-fridge. Linens are provided and changed every 2 weeks. There is also the advantage of living with other students although a large majority are Americans. The Fondation provides common-area services, including laundry, computing facilities, Wifi, vending machines, kitchens (kitchen supplies not provided) and a library.
The Fondation, however, offers less of an immersion into the French language, as the American residents tend to speak English to one another. It is a vintage building, and not all of the rooms have been renovated to modern American dorm standards. Heating, shower, and cooking facilities may not compare to what you have on your home campus.
Overnight Guests
Overnight guests must be signed in 48 hours prior to their arrival. It costs 4€ per night without a bed, 7€50 per night with a bed (minimum 3 nights, maximum 10 nights) and a 10€ key deposit (returned upon departure.)
The are no overnight guests allowed in the summer months.
Fondation des Etats-Unis website: http://www.feusa.org
Directions to the Fondation des Etats Unis dorm
La Cité Internationale
The Fondation is part of the Cité Universitaire complex, which includes services such as different national houses and their dining rooms, a post office, a bank, a student cafeteria, a theatre and a park.
Cité International website: http://www.ciup.fr
Where to eat in the neighborhood of the Cité Universitaire
At the Cité Internationale:
Restaurant Universitaire:
Ouvert du lundi au vendredi de 11h45 à 14h15 et de 18h15 à 21h30.
For the menus, which generally offer a full meal for very cheap prices, go to: http://www.ciup.fr/restaurant_universitaire.htm.
Cafétéria:
Ouverte du lundi au vendredi de 7h45 à 21h30, le samedi de 9h à 20h30 et le dimanche de 10h à 21h. Chaque jour, la cafétéria vous propose des formules petit-déjeuner, déjeuner et goûter. Idéale pour boire un café, se détendre autour d’une salade ou d’un sandwich, elle est prolongée d’une terrasse extérieure surplombant le parc.
Bistrot 32 32 boulevard Jourdan, 75014 Paris
Carla’s 1 rue Cité Universitaire, 75014 Paris
Take the Tram T3 to Porte D’Orleans, where there are many restaurants and Food Vendors (Crepes, and former students say that “Planet Food” has great Kabobs and fries)
Apartments
The program does not rent apartments for students.