A Finnish student shares his experience in the international class
Finnish student Alex Domeney is currently studying design at L'École de design Nantes Atlantique in the third year of the DN MADE "Retail and interior design" program, in the international class open to international students. He shares his experience with us.
Why did you choose to study at L’École de design Nantes Atlantique ?
A student from my school had been here previously and she recommended it and her experience was really good so that inspired me to apply here.
I chose France because of the interesting culture and Nantes seemed as a city, something that you can approach easily.
What about your program and its professional dimension?
We study and address many types of interior spaces, from museums to commercial and domestic spaces. We had a video workshop, that was the first one week workshop we had and then we also had a museum workshop where we designed a new space into the Natural History Museum in Nantes.
We worked with a French shoe brand, so we've designed for them new retail spaces and concepts for their brand.
What about cultural life in Nantes?
My whole lifestyle is very different than in Northern Europe. You have "cafes" to sit on, the terraces, and then especially my favourite is the "Place Viarme" with "Talensac" flea market every Saturday. That's something I look forward to every weekend.
What about pratical life in Nantes?
Here I live in a shared apartment with other French people. For me it's been very nice because I get to study my French also with local people and I have a very short trip to school. I can walk here in less than half an hour and with bike it's 10 minutes.
What I especially like is the free public transport on weekends. I think that's something that the rest of Europe could adapt to its cities also and it's very useful for the public. There are a lot of different services everywhere. The city is very compact so you have a lot of different services in a small area.
The benefits of studying abroad?
It's a very new perspective on studying and working with other people. You learn a lot about yourself and others at the same time. And it's a valuable part of one's journey as a designer and an artist to work with people from different backgrounds and cultures. So it's been very beneficial so far.
Any advice for future international students?
Come with a good attitude and a good mindset, with a positive mindset and appreciate everything that's different.
- Who is your favorite French artist? I'd have to say Françoise Hardy
- What's your favorite place in France? The Dune du Pilat near Bordeaux.
- What is your favorite French cuisine? All French dishes.I don't have a particular favorite.
- What's your favorite French expression? "Art de la vie!
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