1: Don't be an island in Nantes. Find a church, a religious organization or local community of your country of origin or region. You would gain valuable information that would help your stay
2. Do you know that as a student, you can be entitled to free transport? Go to Mairie close to Commerce in Nantes, with your ID, CAF print-out and housing contract.
3.There are places where you are offered free groceries, fruits, or body ointment. They can be weekly or monthly. You have to register and don't miss your appointment consecutively.
4. Do you want student inventory job, where you can earn up 1300€ per month depending on availability of jobs. Check RGIS - or go to their office physically on site.
5. Apply for CAF for your housing. Even if you are married and your partner is not yet legally in France, as far as France is concerned, you are single. Don't lose money due to this.
6. Register for your health insurance as soon as you can. Your carte vitale which would take approximately 6 months to arrive, will help you save a lot of money on your medical appointments.
7. Keep your cost as low as practicably possible from day 1, so that if you want to move from France or have to wait for anything before your next move, you won't be cash stripped. Low housing cost, eating out etc.
8. Always be bold to ask, if you don't understand. "Parlez-vous anglais?" or "Pourriez-vous parler plus lentement, s'il vous plaît ?" or "Mon français n'est pas bon.". Some people would want to intimidate you with the language, if you are not a native speaker or speak too fast thereby making understanding what they are speaking very difficult. However, this is not all people. But if you have an ambition to stay in France, start learning the language even before arriving. You would find harshly by experience how the language is as important or even more important than the degree you acquired or the work you have or you are looking for. It is monolingual country!
9. Have a transition plan from day 1, you came to France. What is strategy? Return back to your country, Masters to PhD in France?, transition to the US/Canada/UK or other EU countries?, job search in France or auto-entrepreneur in France? Check for this from day 1 and including in your academic timetable alongside.
10. Should you want to stay back and work in France, start application early, even while in school. This will help get interviews and learn from them even if you are not successful. Moreso, you would have your time buffer, from the time for your school, to restrategize.
11. If you ever want to take driving lessons for your french driving license, use traditional driving school and AVOID online driving schools. They would frustrate you with hours, once you are not a native and the muiltiple instructor strategy they deploy doesnt also help. A traditional driving school would allocate you to 1 or at most 2 instructors in case of, unavailability of one of them.
12. Finally, do not forget God. Do not be lazy, ask questions when in doubt. Always pray!
