Student Life

The BCA program begins with a three-day orientation, during which students learn about the university, meet with BCA advisors and meet their host families. Influenced by both French and German cultures, Strasbourg is home to dozens of international institutions. With a student population of 40,000, Strasbourg offers plenty of activities for learning and fun.

So much to see and do!

Strasbourg has 11 museums of all sorts, from history to modern art to science. All are free for students http://www.musees-strasbourg.org/
The city is home to 16 theaters and concert halls including the Théâtre National de Strasbourg (www.tns.fr), the Opéra National du Rhin(www.opera-national-du-rhin.com) and the 12,000 seat Zénith (www.zenith-strasbourg.fr)
The city has historical landmarks at every turn:
- L'Église du Bouclier where John Calvin was pastor,
- An organ at l'Église St. Thomas played by Mozart,
- Remnants of the jewish quarter from the 12th century,
- Guard towers from the old medieval city walls,
- And of course the cathédrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg, the tallest in France.
Sessions of the European Parliament, the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights are open to the public. http://www.strasbourg-europe.eu/
Strasbourg has a Ligue 2 football team (www.rcstrasbourg.fr) as well as professional basketball (www.sigbasket.fr) and ice-hockey (www.etoile-noire.fr).
Strasbourg is famous for its Christmas market which has been held every December since 1570. www.noel.strasbourg.eu

Housing

There are three different housing options in Strasbourg:

Host family—You live in a single room in the home of a French family. The host family provides breakfast and dinner and BCA provides a lunch stipend.
Gallia University Student Residence—You will share a room with another BCA student in this student dorm, where most of the residents are French. You will receive a meal stipend by check during the first week of every month from BCA for all meals.
Foyer—These are small private student boarding houses. BCA reserves a room at the Foyer Michaël Sattler (10 students, run by the Mennonite Church) and l’Aumônerie Universitaire Protestante (25 students, run by the Protestant University Chaplaincy). At both foyers, students have an individual room and share kitchen facilities with other students

Meals

Meals are included in the BCA fee. Students receive a monthly stipend to purchase meals at the university cafeterias (resto-u) or buy their own groceries. Le Stift, a resto-u at Strasbourg, is routinely voted the best in France by French student associations.

Computer Access

The BCA office in Strasbourg offers wireless Internet access. Students can also use the computers at the university as well as in the city's many cyber cafés.

Local Transportation

Strasbourg is easily navigable by bus, metro, tram, or on foot. To learn more about the city bus system, go to www.cts-strasbourg.fr. Another option is to rent a bike for the semester to take advantage of the many bike lanes throughout the city. For more information on bike rentals, go to http://www.velocation.net/.

Sports Facilities

The university maintains many modern sports facilities to which BCA students have access. In most cases, this access involves a small fee.

BCA Educational Excursions

Bike trip to Kehl Germany
Overnight trip to Metz and Verdun, tour of World War I battlefields
Tour of the Hospices de Strasbourg wine cellar
Tour of the Grand Seminaire and the medieval library collection
Tour of the Council of Europe
Trip to Le Struthof concentration camp and hike to prehistoric site at Le Donon