Paris - things I wish I'd been told

Hey. So moving to a new city is always kind of scary. Going to university is scary. But going to another country is a whole other kettle of fish. Here are some things I wish I had known before coming to Paris:

Important things take a long time.

That sounds more philosophical than it is. I'm talking flat-searches, setting up bank accounts, getting a student Navigo pass for the metro. You also have to do things in order - you can't have a Navigo until you have a French phone number, you can't have a French phone number without a French bank account, you can't have a French bank account until you have a French address. 

There's also the matter of bank charges: banks in France will charge you for having a bank account, unlike ones in the UK. Most of them do deals for students and under-25s which give you money off or a charge-free account for the first year. Just keep an eye on that.

The student Navigo (Imagine R) forms are available in metro stations, just ask the person at Information for a dossier de souscription. You can use a mobile or flat phone number on the form, but you need to put one of the two. 

A cheap French phone option is from Free, who offer 2 hours of calls, 50mb of data and unlimited texts to French numbers for 2 euros a month, contract-free. Use wi-fi to Skype or WhatsApp people from home, or look around for data deals if keeping in touch all the time is a big deal for you.

Pickpockets will try and steal from you.

You probably think you're very savvy and won't ever get anything stolen. I think the same about myself but it's important to not let your guard down. Keep valuables in front of you, in a secure pocket (like inside a jacket, in a zip-up pocket or shoulder bag on your front, or in a front jeans pocket if your pockets are big enough). Be especially aware when moving through busy streets or metro stations. 

Street harassment is still big here.

Honestly, it feels like men in Paris are about 30 years behind England. UK men will group up to target women, but here they just don't care. Solo men will make comments to you that are neither kind nor true. I've tried talking to them about the idea of entitlement but my feminist vocab isn't good enough yet. Just make sure to perfect your leave-me-alone face.

But please remember that it will all be okay.

• Maybe you'll find a great apartment first time round. 
• Maybe your landlord will be horrible. 
• Maybe you'll airbnb for a couple of months and be severely underwhelmed. 
• Maybe you'll sleep in the same room as your flatmate. 
• Maybe you'll pay too much rent. 
• Maybe the extra charges will pile up.
• Maybe you'll be living outside the Paris postcode. 

All of these things have happened to people I know, and it's okay. They're all in better places now, and you do have to make compromises but that's the case for living anywhere. My uni doesn't offer student accommodation, so you do kind of get thrown in at the deep end with flat-searching, but it's a really valuable experience, having to learn to do this stuff on your own.

If you have any more worries about moving for uni, I probably have either thought of or done the things you're worried about , or know someone who has. So let me know if you want some help with that. Good luck!

- Alice