New Orleans is the most distinctive city in the States, a Creole, Cajun and Caribbean mash-up of jazz, wrought-iron balconies and legendary food. Tulane and Loyola sit side by side Uptown, giving you a lively student quarter with the French Quarter a streetcar ride away. It is warm, walkable and endlessly celebratory.

• Home to Tulane and Loyola universities, side by side Uptown.
• The birthplace of jazz, with a festival calendar led by Mardi Gras.
• Compact, characterful and unlike anywhere else in the country.

Student life runs on live music, from the brass bands of Frenchmen Street to the dive bars Uptown, and peaks with Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest each spring. The St Charles streetcar links the campuses to the action, and there is always a parade or festival to join. It is a city that celebrates constantly.

• Catch live jazz on Frenchmen Street rather than the tourist-heavy Bourbon Street.
• Throw yourself into Mardi Gras and the spring Jazz Fest.
• Uptown bars like the Boot and the Maple Street spots are student staples.

New Orleans is moderately priced: budget around 1,200 to 1,900 dollars a month with shared rent. Housing is reasonable by US-city standards, though older homes can mean higher energy bills. Festivals and eating out are the tempting extras.

• Shared rooms Uptown run about 650 to 950 dollars a month.
• A po'boy lunch costs under 15 dollars; happy hours are generous.
• A Jazzy Pass gives unlimited streetcar and bus rides for a day or more.

Most students share the classic shotgun and double houses Uptown near Tulane and Loyola, or in the Carrollton and Riverbend areas along the streetcar. The Marigny and Bywater offer a more bohemian, music-heavy base. Check flood history and energy efficiency in these older homes.

• Uptown and Carrollton put you near campus and the St Charles streetcar.
• The Marigny and Bywater are artsy, walkable and full of music.
• Ask the Studcasa New Orleans group about reliable landlords and sublets.

The historic streetcars are both transport and joy, with the St Charles line linking Uptown to downtown, backed by buses and a bike-friendly, flat layout. A Jazzy Pass covers the RTA network cheaply. Blue Bikes and cycling work well for shorter hops.

• Ride the St Charles streetcar between the universities and downtown.
• A Jazzy Pass gives unlimited RTA streetcar and bus travel.
• Blue Bikes and cycling suit the flat, compact city centre.

Tulane is a private research university and Loyola a Jesuit one, both on semester systems, strong in public health, law, music and the liberal arts. Expect small, discussion-led classes where professors know your name and expect participation. The libraries stay open late, and community-engaged learning is a local speciality.

• Register early; music and public-health courses fill quickly.
• Both universities run international offices with orientation and social events.

Almost every exchange student needs a visa, and which one depends on your programme and nationality. Most exchange students come on a J-1 exchange visitor visa (with a DS-2019 from your host university) or an F-1 student visa (with an I-20); your US university tells you which and issues the document. You then pay the SEVIS fee, complete the DS-160 form, and attend an in-person interview at a US embassy or consulate, so start the moment you're accepted, as interview waits can be long.

Budget for the SEVIS fee (around 220 dollars for J-1, 350 for F-1) plus the visa application fee, and note J-1 visas carry mandatory health insurance rules and sometimes a two-year home-residency requirement. Keep every document for border entry.

• Most exchange students, J-1 (DS-2019) or F-1 (I-20) visa
• Pay the SEVIS fee (~$220 J-1 / ~$350 F-1) before your interview
• Complete DS-160 and attend an in-person consulate interview
• J-1 requires compliant health insurance; check the two-year home-residency rule

New Orleans food is a cuisine of its own: gumbo, jambalaya, crawfish boils, po'boys and sugar-dusted beignets, rooted in Creole and Cajun traditions. Music and food are inseparable, spilling out of restaurants and street corners alike. Come hungry and curious.

• Try gumbo, jambalaya and a shrimp po'boy at a neighbourhood joint.
• Get beignets and chicory coffee at Cafe du Monde, ideally late at night.
• Join a springtime crawfish boil if a local invites you; it is a rite of passage.

New Orleans neighbourhoods each have a strong identity: leafy, grand Uptown by the universities, the historic French Quarter, and the artsy Marigny and Bywater downriver. The Garden District dazzles with mansions, while Mid-City offers value and the bayou. Pick by whether you want student calm or music-scene buzz.

• Uptown and Carrollton: leafy, student-friendly and on the streetcar.
• Marigny and Bywater: bohemian and packed with live music.
• Mid-City: better value, near City Park and Bayou St John.

New Orleans opens up the Gulf South, from Cajun country to the coast. Baton Rouge and Lafayette give you swamps and zydeco, the Gulf beaches lie east, and plantation and swamp tours sit close to the city. A car or carpool helps beyond the day trips.

• Lafayette, the heart of Cajun country, is about two hours west.
• Swamp tours and River Road plantations are easy half-day trips.
• The Gulf Coast beaches of Mississippi are around 90 minutes east.

New Orleans is intoxicating, but a bit of care goes a long way. Learn which streets to stick to at night, stay aware during the humid hurricane season, and pace yourself through the endless festivals. Say yes to the music and the food.

• Stay streetwise at night; keep to busy, well-lit routes and travel in groups.
• Hurricane season runs into autumn; keep an eye on local alerts.
• Ask the Studcasa New Orleans group about safe rides home after late gigs.