Life at INSA

The campus of was my home during the study year 2000-2001. Despite its name "institute" INSA is one of the "Grandes Ecoles d'Ingénieurs", giving higher education for various engineering degrees. Maybe not hard to guess that I was attached to the computer science department.

Building D was one of the ten student dormitories. Most of the students lived on the campus, the accommodation options varying from a double room at 936 FF (143 euros) to a nice studio with kitchen and bathroom at about 2200 FF (335 euros) per month. I decided to save all extra money for traveling and chose the cheapest option.
Also available: 1760x1168 version.

This is what you got - not fancy but functional. The toilets and showers were in the hallway but there was a sink in every room. The most unexpected and best surprise was that INSA had a campus network, I could hook my laptop to 10 Mbit ethernet and continue to be dependent on e-mail in my communications.
Also available: 1168x1760 version.

My roommate Elmahjoub (on the right) was from Morocco. We had often visitors, in their culture keeping touch with friends is even more important than in Europe. I think we were both happy to live together, sharing the 16 square meter surface was never a problem.

The worst side of the old dormitory was that there weren't a single kitchen in the whole building. Apparently the designers had thought that students would always want to eat in the campus restaurant which was open also on weekends. Well, we didn't and fixed the problem: a second hand fridge 250 FF and two cooker plates and essential dishes for about the same sum.
Also available: 1760x1168 version.

The computer science department filled the second and third floors of these buildings. At INSA it is actually quite respected and hardest to get in. Lectures, exercise sessions and nearly all the material were naturally in French. The study program doesn't offer much choice for the French people but exchange students can basically choose and do whatever they like, of course taking account the requirements of their home universities.
Also available: 1760x1168 version.

The exams were pretty easy but project reports and presentations demanded more work. A lot of the exercises were done in groups of 6 people (or 6 locals and one foreigner) and here's my fantastic "hexanome". Picture by Helena Ahlfors. Also available: 1760x1168 version.

Sports were also part of the study program. From a good list of options and I picked wall climbing. The hall was in the city center and apparently one of the best around.

Despite the campus-wide network electronic announcements of events were occasional at best. This was the way to keep up to date on what's happening. Also available: 1760x1168 version.

next page >>

Copyright Arto Teräs <ajt@iki.fi> 2000-2001.
Redistribution of this document as a whole or any of the pictures individually is permitted in any medium provided this copyright notice is preserved.

Last update 17.8.2001.

	Building D was one of the ten student dormitories. Most of the students lived on the campus, the accommodation options varying from a double room at 936 FF (143 euros) to a nice studio with kitchen and bathroom at about 2200 FF (335 euros) per month. I decided to save all extra money for traveling and chose the cheapest option. Also available: 1760x1168 version.
	This is what you got - not fancy but functional. The toilets and showers were in the hallway but there was a sink in every room. The most unexpected and best surprise was that INSA had a campus network, I could hook my laptop to 10 Mbit ethernet and continue to be dependent on e-mail in my communications. Also available: 1168x1760 version.
	My roommate Elmahjoub (on the right) was from Morocco. We had often visitors, in their culture keeping touch with friends is even more important than in Europe. I think we were both happy to live together, sharing the 16 square meter surface was never a problem.
	The worst side of the old dormitory was that there weren't a single kitchen in the whole building. Apparently the designers had thought that students would always want to eat in the campus restaurant which was open also on weekends. Well, we didn't and fixed the problem: a second hand fridge 250 FF and two cooker plates and essential dishes for about the same sum. Also available: 1760x1168 version.
	The computer science department filled the second and third floors of these buildings. At INSA it is actually quite respected and hardest to get in. Lectures, exercise sessions and nearly all the material were naturally in French. The study program doesn't offer much choice for the French people but exchange students can basically choose and do whatever they like, of course taking account the requirements of their home universities. Also available: 1760x1168 version.
	The exams were pretty easy but project reports and presentations demanded more work. A lot of the exercises were done in groups of 6 people (or 6 locals and one foreigner) and here's my fantastic "hexanome". Picture by Helena Ahlfors. Also available: 1760x1168 version.
	Sports were also part of the study program. From a good list of options and I picked wall climbing. The hall was in the city center and apparently one of the best around.
	Despite the campus-wide network electronic announcements of events were occasional at best. This was the way to keep up to date on what's happening. Also available: 1760x1168 version.