In France at the University of Nice I attended mass lectures in overcrowded theatres. The layout of the class was unusual: students had no proper desks to sit at, but only small tables which could take a sheet of paper and a pen. They were in a circle around the teacher, who was sitting in the most relaxed way It was so different from France. The other side of the Channel professors are godlike figures whom you don’t challenge.

The lecture was unexpected, too: a conversation between the teacher and students, an exchange of ideas and opinions. For the first time I could express my views without feeling that I was being judged.When I left class I found myself surrounded by a group of students trying to get me involved in the student union, thrusting flyers and ads at me That would never happen in France The walls were plastered with posters There were parties every night in the student union Again, that doesn’t happen in France We have parties, but not so many Monday was disco night, Tuesday was house music, and so on It was absolutely unbelievable. There were pubs on campus where we had drinks after class.The only thing that I couldn’t emulate was the drinking habits of my British fellows. Parties too often ended in chaos with half the students totally wasted; sometimes drunken fights broke out outside the student union.

I will never forget the pervasive smell of vomit.The other problem was that I didn’t always remember to hand in my essays and projects on time. The lecturers turned out to be understanding and gave us extensions That was great. I responded to their kindness by doing my best to produce good work, not to disappoint them. This kind of relationship – wanting to do a good job for your teacher – would not happen in France.’IT WAS A BIT OF A CULTURE SHOCK AFTER AN ENGLISH UNIVERSITY’Mary Willoughby, 27, did an Erasmus year at the National Institute for the Applied Sciences, a highly rated engineering school in Lyon, France, while she was at Leeds University on a degree in electronic engineering I saw it as a great opportunity. I was always interested in other subjects apart from engineering, and I was studying French on the side at Leeds, so the Erasmus year seemed ideal. Very few other engineering students opted for it; I was one of only two people, so it sets you apart in the job market.