On Tuesday 10 October 2023, the City of Caen organised the Nuit des étudiants du monde. The evening included a visit to the Abbaye-aux-Hommes, a presentation of the city history,  a concert, a dance and a tasting of Normandy specialities! Around a hundred international students from the University of Caen Normandy joined the event.

Léonie tells us

"My name is Léonie, I'm 21 and I live in Germany. I'm studying French to become a teacher. I started my Erasmus semester in September. I had already come to Caen as part of an exchange programme when I was younger. When my university offered a semester abroad in Caen, I applied straight away, because I wanted to visit the city again and enjoy the experience as a student. I'm really enjoying my time in Caen. Since my arrival, I've had the opportunity to visit the city and take advantage of the university's services. I took part in a guided tour of the city, went on an excursion to Mont Saint-Michel, and discovered Étretat, Honfleur and Deauville where we were able to enjoy the beaches thanks to the beautiful weather. All these outings helped me to get to know Normandy better. I regularly go to the cinema evenings organised in the Pierre Daure amphitheatre and I do rock climbing with the SUAPS. Evenings out in the city in the various bars allow me to meet new people.

The start of my studies was a bit complicated because of the choice of courses and the composition of the timetable, but I quickly got used to the lectures. The pace can be demanding, but there are always students around to help me.

Tonight's ball was great. The venue is really magnificent. We were able to visit the Abbaye-aux-Hommes, and there were stalls, as well as a quiz with questions about Caen. The traditional dancing in the great hall was great fun, and the change of music with a DJ set later in the evening was great for dancing. The Normandy snacks and of course the cider were much appreciated by everyone. We chatted a lot, in French and English, and had a lot of laughs."