Salut, tous! In this post I wanted to share what has helped me stay organized and able to plan this trip. If that's not your jam and sounds super boring, fair enough-see you in the next post! But for those of you who are curious or about to plan your own trip abroad, this is what I've found to be useful.
Truly, any planner is going to be helpful, but this particular style really speaks to my thought process and how I like to organize. At the top of each page is a space for the three most important things you want to accomplish that day-I find this to be key in prioritizing my day instead of writing down every single thing I might have time for.
#2: Facebook
Particularly for TAPIF, Facebook groups are key. There are groups for each académie and also one large group for everyone in this year's cycle. It's a great way to share info, ask for advice, find reassurance, and reaffirm that you're not the only one going through this process.
#3: Kayak and Hopper
I found my plane tickets through a combination of Kayak and Hopper. First, I used Hopper (not sure if this app is available on Android) to choose the cheapest dates and airports for my flights. Then I booked my tickets for those dates through Kayak to get the best price. Both can be set up to give you price alerts and have predictor tools to advise you when it's wise to buck up and buy the ticket or to wait it out for a better price. (Brexit also helped me out by driving prices wayyyyy down)
#4: Airbnb
Another obvious choice, but it has been a lifesaver for my sad assistante budget. I booked a private room for my initial arrival in Colmar so I'd have a place to sleep. This ended up working out better for me than a hotel because it was cheaper per night, I had access to a full bathroom/shower/kitchen, breakfast included, flexible checkin/checkout, and a local who was willing to give me advice and directions. I also booked a private room in an apartment in Paris for my golden birthday-again, cheaper than a hotel with a better inclusive experience and flexibility.
#5: TAPIF assistant guidebook
Each year, the guidebook is updated and is available to anyone who visits the TAPIF website. When I was researching the program, I read the guidebook for that year to really get into the nitty gritty of the details for assistants. It's chock full of information on everything from how to get your visa, advice on deferring student loans, links to guidebooks provided by CIEP on how to contact your assigned schools. I highly recommend looking it up if you're seriously looking into applying for TAPIF, you can get direct access to the kind of information you'd receive if accepted to the program.
That's all for now! I hope this was helpful for anyone who is wondering how the heck a person up and temporarily moves to France for a teaching assistant position. Next time I check in will probably be my departure date, I leave one week from today! Writing this post may or may not have been a way to procrastinate packing ;)