Common questions
Questions about language courses
Yes, you can study at Insted with no previous knowledge of the language.
If you are a beginner it is important to start at the beginning of the course. The most common study lengths is 13-15 weeks but in the end, it depends on your motivation and previous experience of learning a new language.
Yes, we definitely recommend that you do, but naturally there are always exceptions.
Of course! We offer courses at all levels and we can help you to find a level which suits you.
You are studying half the day on a rotating schedule, alternating mornings and afternoons.For example: Monday morning, Tuesday afternoon, Wednesday morning etc. Class times are 09.00 – 12.15 or alternatively 14.30 – 17.45.
We will e-mail you a couple of questions in french or give you a call. It is not a problem to change your level during the course, just speak to your teacher.
Insted can’t guarantee university credits but we do work together with the university (CUEF) Stendhal in Grenoble to guarantee the quality standard of our courses. This will give you the possibility to convert your full-time studies to something that is called ECTS-credits, which stands for European Credits Transfer System. One week of fulltime studies corresponds roughly to one ECTS-credit.
Several of our students who study at university (for example business administration) can choose to have incorporated courses in Chamonix within the framework of their program. It is always up to the student councillor to decide whether this is possible. You can show your student councillor the certificate you get from us at the end of the course. Sometimes you might need extra documents, we will help you to get the documents asked for by your university.
Questions about accommodation
You write this in the booking. It is also fine to contact us directly on Facebook, by e-mail or simply call us.
Not a problem! However, places get booked up quickly so we recommend you to book 4 months in advance.
That is fine, contact us on Facebook, by e-mail or by telephone and we’ll sort it out.
It is rare that you have internet in the apartments but we do have free WiFi in the school which you can use. On the website MapCham you’ll find more WiFi places in Chamonix.
Our apartments are all situated in the centre of town within walking distance to our school. This means that you have shops, bars, buses and ski lifts around the corner.
Climbing
The most popular type of climbing in the summer is sport climbing. You climb with pre-bolted routes and you use “quick draws” to keep you safe. Of course there is all kinds of climbing in Chamonix like dry tooling, alpine climbing or bouldering.
There is a climbing wall in Les Houches and two boulder halls in Chamonix.
Skiing & Snowboarding
There are all kinds of skiing in Chamonix. Don’t forget that when you go off-piste you need to carry the right equipment and have background knowledge about mountain safety. If you’re interested in knowing more? Just contact us and we can help you out.
To buy skis and mountaineering equipment can take some time. If you’re not sure which kit you want, we recommend you test different equipment here in Chamonix. The range of equipment on offer in Chamonix is massive and the prices are generally quite low. Besides, as an Insted student you’ll get 10% discount in some of the biggest outdoor shops in Chamonix.
Hiking
The level of difficulty of your hike is something you can easily choose yourself. The Mont Blanc mountain range is huge. There are open green hillsides layered with dense forests. If you want to go higher up, you can find snow all year round.
If you don’t own any equipment, we recommend you buy or rent your gear in Chamonix. Here you can try it out and learn what you might need and the prices are generally quite low. Besides, as an Insted student you’ll get 10% discount in some of the biggest outdoor shops in Chamonix.
Do you find what you are looking for?
Contact us on Facebook, telephone or by e-mail by clicking on the link bellow.