You have just registered for one of our Applied MSc programmes and you have decided to come and study at our Sophia-Antipolis campus, excellent choice! In order to enjoy the sunshine of the Côte d’Azur to the maximum and to concentrate on your studies, you must now prepare your arrival in France. In this article we will give you our tips to prepare your arrival in Sophia-Antipolis.
The arrival
Having chosen the Sophia-Antipolis campus, you will surely arrive at Nice Cote d’Azur (NCE) airport. The Nice airport is one of the largest French airports and therefore has all the facilities to facilitate your arrival. You will be able to withdraw money and get to Sophia easily by car or by public transport.
Accommodations
There are many options for accommodation around the DSTI campus which will help ensure your stay in France is smooth and enjoyable.
First and foremost, book temporary accommodation before you arrive on verified sites such as AirBnB. This will give you the time to find accommodation that suits you for the year.
DSTI has signed a partnership with the Studapart platform, which is a reference for student accommodation in France. This online accommodation service allows international students to facilitate the procedures for accessing their accommodation.
Concerning private accommodation, there are many residences, rooms in private homes, shared flats and studio flats on the market. These accommodations are scattered around the campus in cities such as Antibes, Biot, Valbonne or Juan-les-pins and are perfect for DSTI students.
The budget
The DSTI tuition fees include all elements related to schooling for the whole year, however you should have an idea of the estimated cost of living in Sophia. The first piece of good news is that in addition to the lower tuition fees at our campus in the south of France compared to the Parisian one, this is also the case for the cost of daily expenses.
In fact, to live reasonably in Sophia-Antipolis and cover all your expenses, you should plan on a monthly budget of 850 to 1,150€ (compared to 1,100 to 1,300€ in Paris).
The environment
The southern climate for most of the year will allow you to take advantage of the unique geography of the campus as soon as you arrive in the south of France. Between Antibes, Nice, Cannes, Monaco, and more broadly the whole of the French Riviera, you have the choice. A few hours from Sophia, the wonders of Provence are also on your doorstep, allowing you to visit places like Marseille, Aix en Provence, Cassis… So don’t forget your sunglasses and your swimming costume!
In order to take full advantage of the exceptional living environment offered by the Sophia-Antipolis campus, it is essential to well prepare your arrival. To help you, we have put at your disposal the Student Booklet which gathers in a very detailed way all the information and steps related to your arrival. This document summarises in much greater detail all the points discussed above, so don’t hesitate to consult it!