Grenoble
Quick Facts
Average Rent : 100€ – 400€ after CAF
(Private résidence)
Monthly transport pass : 15€
Last passage of public transport : 2 a.m.
Number of Malaysian student : 50
Interviewee : Achilles Bernard A Logijin and Brendylea Pow Anak Brownie
Sabrina Ginam
Muhammad Shahruladnan bin Mohd Shukri
Q : Why did you choose to do your study in this city and how did it differ from your expectations?
Achilles and Brendy : I decided to do my Bac+2 here in Grenoble because I wanted to study in an environment where I am far from the hustle and bustle of a big city. This means more tranquility for my mind and lower cost of living!
Sabrina : Firstly, I chose this city because of the Malaysian community. I wanted to be around people that I can connect with. Secondly, Grenoble is a wonderous and adventurous city; being haloed by the mountains, it is home to some of the best hiking trails in France. We got to explore mountain lakes, ski resorts, natural parks, camp, bike along the riverbanks, etc. So far? Not disappointed at all.
Sharuladnan : I chose Grenoble because this city is surrounded by beautiful mountains where I can go hiking and skiing during winter.
Q : What do you like and dislike about this city?
Achilles and Brendy : I really like the fact that everything is situated at the proximity here in Grenoble. (Talk about shopping center, dining places, the famous sites etc.) It’s also an ideal place to study (Not really a lot of distractions) Also, everything I want is centralised (within walking range) so I don’t have to travel to far to get necessities. I dislikes the fact that the place is dangerous and dirty, where I live at least. I do not feel safe walking alone because the city has high crime rates.
Sabrina : Cheap transportation subscription, no one steals Métro Vélo, huge network of public libraries, variety of restaurants, accessible sport fields, strong green activism but frequent demonstration
Sharuladnan : I can find everything I need here except for Uniqlo.
Q : What were the difficulties that you faced here? How did you overcome them?
Achilles and Brendy : I did not face any particular difficulties here study-wise. Perhaps because my school is so used to receiving and catering the needs of International Students. However, it is almost impossible to obtain a rendez-vous for applying the titre de séjour. The Prefecture in Grenoble is not efficient. I have not overcomed this problem.
Sabrina : During my first few weeks at Polytech, we mostly had Tronc Commun classes. So, sometimes, in one class, we have hundreds of students from all departments & at that time, I didn’t know anyone yet. It was quite hard to make friends since we don’t necessarily see the same person in Tronc Commun classes. Most students already knew each other from preparatory class or IUT in Grenoble but I came from a quaint town in the region of Alsace. I mainly stayed with the Malaysians but eventually got to know other people; it worked out but it took time.
Sharuladnan : No Uniqlo but Lyon is just 1h30 away.
Q : What did you like to do in the city for leisure purposes?
Achilles and Brendy : Roaming around Victor Hugo (centre- ville), dine in cool Asian restaurants with my friends, lepak kat cafe and hiking (A must for any grenoblois) and also walking along the Isere river to free my mind!
Sabrina : I love to hike around, jog along the riverbank, sometimes play frisbee with Malaysians!
Sharuladnan : Jogging, football, hiking
Q : How did you find the locals in the city?
Achilles and Brendy : I think they’re just like any other French locals. But because there are a lot of international students here, the population is used to seeing a diverse group of students.
Sabrina : They’re open minded, sometimes friendly
Sharuladnan : Warm and generous.
Q : Share your favourite memory in this city/your department.
Achilles and Brendy : Spending a night out near the Isere River with my friends during Halloween 2020.
Sabrina : My favourite memory would be when I went stargazing this summer with fellow Malaysians. We went to the mountains, camped out, spent a sleepless night in cold weather but I wouldn’t trade this experience for other things. I’ve had never seen a shooting star but that night, I saw countless of shooting stars – I stopped counting after a while! The sky was full of stars, we saw the big dipper, the moon shifting, we chatted throughout the night, it was spectacular. If there’s one thing I could change, I wished I had brought more food!
Sharuladnan : Cycling around the park.
Q : Where can you get halal food?
Achilles and Brendy : Saint Bruno Area
Sabrina : Boucherie
Sharuladnan : Literally everywhere.
Grenoble Ecole de Management
Interviewee : Achilles Bernard A Logijin and Brendylea Pow Anak Brownie (Bachelor in International Business (L2))
Q : How do you find the teachers and the environment in your department
Achilles and Brendy : They’re just like any ordinary teacher I’ve encountered. Same je.
Q : How do you find the international student support in your department/école?
Achilles and Brendy : The International Support is great! In Grenoble, I think all of the Ecole’s International Student Support is centralized and managed by one agency called Service Accueil International – International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO) – Sangat function this agency 🙂
Q : Describe the student life (Sports, night life, cultural events)
Achilles and Brendy : Grenoble is an ideal place for anyone who loves sports, I would say. A lot of mountains/hills to climb, some cool places to do trekking etc. During winter, one can even go skiing because all the famous skiing spots are nearby.
Q : How do you go to class?
Achilles and Brendy : 5 min walks.
Polytech Grenoble
Interviewee : Sabrina Ginam (5ème année école d’ingénieur)
Q : How do you find the teachers and the environment in your department
Sabrina : My teachers are mostly willing to help & batchmates are open-minded, welcoming, funny, hardly serious but very helpful
Q : How do you find the international student support in your department/école?
Sabrina : I’m not quite sure if we have an international student body
Q : Describe the student life (Sports, night life, cultural events)
Sabrina : We have a merit system in school and in order to graduate, we have to earn 10 merits. So, you can earn merits by representing the school, joining student associations, organizing events, etc. It forces us to participate actively in school life. So, I joined the School’s Sport Office, Advocates for Equality, Alumni Day Organizer, etc. Other than that, we have the Mountain Sports Office, Humanitarian Body, the School Band & much more. These bureaus propose a lot of activities, all I needed ws time! We also have Olympiade, a Sport Tournament, in which all 7 engineering schools in Grenoble participate. It’s really fun & don’t be surprised but, I was in the Women’s Soccer Team!
Q : How do you go to class?
Sabrina : 3 min walks.
IUT1 Grenoble
Interviewee : Muhammad Shahruladnan bin Mohd Shukri (2ème année DUT Génie Mécanique et Productique )
Q : How do you find the teachers and the environment in your department
Shahruladnan : Very supportive and kind
Q : How do you find the international student support in your department/école?
Shahruladnan : Supportive and lots of interesting activities
Q : Describe the student life (Sports, night life, cultural events)
Shahruladnan : Variety of sports, nightclubs and several museums too
Q : How do you go to class?
Shahruladnan : Depends on where you live. Mine is around 20 minutes by tram and 10 minutes by bicycle.
