Life at the University

Student life in Fribourg tends to be made up predominantly of attending lectures and studying, as well as sports, student activities and social life. The Institute of Physical Education and Sports (IEPS-ILS) publishes a booklet twice a year on what sports are being offered and the choice is usually excellent. To use the University gym you will need to obtain an access card. Traditionally the favorite sporting activity among the American College Program students is skiing, but fencing, which is remarkably well developed in Fribourg, is also very popular. The current fencing instructor, Christian le Moing, was (until recently) the Swiss national coach and took the Swiss team to the Barcelona Olympics.

For more information about sports at the University of Fribourg you should get in contact with Roger Roth of the "Sport universitaire". There are also several student groups and associations active at the University. As a foreign student it is possible to gain honorary membership in several of the student fraternities. You can find out more about this aspect of student life by consulting the various notice boards at the Miséricorde campus. Social life in Fribourg might not be comparable to some big universities but, for a small University such as Fribourg, it must be said that there is quite a bit to do.

Naturally, winter sports, and especially skiing, are a favorite weekend past time of ACP students and the nearest ski resorts are within twenty minutes of Fribourg. However, the best skiing is done in the big resorts that are found at the higher altitudes like Gstaad and Verbier to name just two. Many resorts are located in the canton of Valais (or Wallis in German) and are about an hour and a half from Fribourg by car (about two and a half-hours by train). These resorts are usually more expensive than the lower and lesser-known resorts in Fribourg, Bern or Vaud. Skiing without a car is possible in Switzerland and indeed many special train tickets exist to offer skiers train travel and ski-lift tickets at very competitive prices. A one-day ski-lift ticket in the Fribourg resorts costs around SFr. 40. In the bigger resorts this figure can easily reach SFr. 60. The University Sports Institute (IEPS-ILS) organises ski trips and an annual ski week for foreign students, all at very reasonable rates. 

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