My Exchange at Sciences Po, Paris
My semester abroad on exchange, I can most easily say, has been the most life-changing experience I have had in my 20 years of existence. It served as the culmination of everything I had studied, prepared for, and saved up for. In a nutshell, through being in a foreign country, new environment, immersed in a foreign culture and language, I was placed well outside my comforts compared to back in New Zealand, and through that I was able to grow and adapt, and most importantly learn, not only so much academically, but also culturally, about what it means to be Kiwi, as a global citizen and learn so much about myself.
I arrived in France during summer, in August, leaving the New Zealand winter behind, so the 40-degree weather and 9:30pm sunsets took a while to adjust to, especially after the 30+ hours spent just flying.
It was definitely a bit of a shocker touching down in France, it felt a bit mystical, but I was surprised by the fields and nature I saw, as I was not expecting any nearly as much touching down in Paris.
Language was largely the issue, as my French was largely limited after only doing French 101.
Accommodation in Paris was a bit hard to find, given the population density. I managed to find my accommodation online through a homestay website. However, in practice, my accommodation was pretty independent, with breakfast and laundry supplied. Though my landlady was quite nice in showing me around the local area and helping me set up. I wished there was university student accommodation available from my university, but that wasn’t an option, and the limited student accommodations are usually for masters students, although they have been known to accept undergraduates occasionally, too.
At SciencesPo, I paid 250 euros in advance (close to 500 NZD) for a welcome week orientation, which involved showing us the campus, a few preparation lectures and tours of a few Paris monuments. Although, in reflection, I think the programme was a bit overpriced for what it was, I have no regrets as I made some of the best friendships on this exchange through the friends I met during the welcome week orientation.
Courses-wise, France is known for its affinity to doing things old school, like pen and paper, anything from its forms and paperwork to its classes at university. Although SciencesPo is still pretty modern, the system of classes felt quite old school at least compared to Auckland Uni. Classes were all in person and mandatory, attendance was taken, and no recordings were made of classes. Classes were all quite small, ranging from 15 to 100 students only. Obviously, there are pros and cons to this type of system, the pros being you have a much more engaged and driven student base and classroom atmosphere, cons being you are now forced to somehow make your 8am lectures on a Monday (it’s very difficult but possible)
The cost of living is definitely higher than Auckland, I think by comparison maybe 1.5x more pricey, especially accommodation and travel. Although as a student, and having a EU visa many things such as museum visits or attraction visits are free, and subsided rates for students including cafeteria meals. Genuinely do not think I will be complaining about cost of living ever again once I am back. A tip, or a coping mechanism, is to just pretend everything is in NZD, not euros, and you’ll at least feel better.
Sports-wise, I am quite grateful to have joined SciencesPo’s competitive badminton team. They have their own dedicated sports association here, and you can sign up to play a sport ranging from beginner to competitive. Sports range from muay thai to rowing to rock climbing. But be super fast when the registration opens as slots fill up super quick.
I also joined the newly started outdoors club, so was super happy to have had the chance to go hiking and rock climbing on the weekends. Definitely would recommend that you join a co-curricular club of any sort, I think it is one of the easiest ways to make friends, all sharing the same hobby. Also, this is probably the best way to engage and make friends with locals too, because often international exchange students end up grouping together.
Life on campus was pretty lively, the students were all very engaged and academically focussed, I think there is a stronger student culture here abroad than what I am used to back in New Zealand, as students here tend to treat university or being a student as a full time job. Also the ratio of international students to local students here is pretty even so that is quite cool.
Food is pretty decent here, they have Crous cafeterias which offer subsided meals for 3.30 euros, which is pretty decent pricing for lunches. French food is also pretty nice, the pastries are super nice, wine is super cheap too! There are also Asian supermarkets that sell international foods which I went to quite a bit for my shopping, as I quite often missed my mum’s home meals. There are a lot of food options in Paris, with a lot of diversity. However, eating out here is definitely more pricey than back home, with your average meal starting from around 12 euros.
Highlights of my exchange: meeting new friends, the world class learning experience, the independence, exposure to a new culture and country, travelling!
Challenges to my exchange: language barrier, settling into a new environment, a bit lonely sometimes, the roller coaster feelings of exchange, homesickness. But it is all worth it
Advice: if you are on the fence, or hesitant. Go out on that limb, just do it. You will thank yourself in the long run. Also look into the Erasmus+ programme, they offer scholarships for exchange students that cover a lot of costs. During this semester abroad, I learnt so much academically, and more importantly so much about myself, my outlook on life, my passions and my values.
It’s something you have to experience for yourself.
Q&A
What were some of the highlights of the academic experience at your host university?
Meeting so many new people from all over the world! I was able to gain a global perspective and learn more about other regions of the world that I otherwise wouldn’t have back in New Zealand.
Travelling! Being in Europe, it is so easy to travel, either with your new friends or solo, it is all super feasible. Especially the cheap flights!
World-class academic experience. I am an IR student and SciencesPo has such relevant, and practical classes that are unparalleled, definitely learnt so much just from this one semester abroad. Coupled with the fact that everyone else on exchange is super bright and also driven, the knowledge spillover is insane.
What are your top 3 tips for future students attending your host university or going on exchange to your host country?
Come with an open mind! I came with no expectations, a willing and enthusiastic attitude, and I think I gained so much just from that.
Practise a little French on Duolingo, or take a French course. I think it is super handy! But don’t stress if not, they have beginner French classes here too if you want to learn!
Find a good work life balance! Classes here are only pass-fail, so you can definitely be tactical about that. Travelling and exploring is such an incredible aspect of exchange too. But also, the academic experience was so valuable that I got from SciencesPo
How much did you budget for your exchange? Was this enough? Were there any lessons learned that would help future students budget for their own exchange?
About $20k NZD. Crazy figure I know. I think it is a very reasonable figure for an exchange semester if you really want to maximise and capitalise on every opportunity. But keep in mind that a portion of that was from scholarships from UoA and my exchange university. So definitely look into that!
Unfortunately cost of living is higher in Europe than NZ, so do be prepared to spend a bit more here.
I am guilty of not making a budget, but I suggest that you have at least a rough idea of where your money is going and equally distributing it.
Exchange is not the time to be saving or too frugal! You’ve worked hard, saved heaps back home, now it the time to enjoy and maximise your experience abroad. You can always earn money back, but experiences I cannot say as easily.
What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?
Learning so much academically. I am a IR student and SciencesPo really offers world class, practical, globally relevant classes in this field.
Learning a new language and immersing myself in a new culture.
Making new friends from across the world! This is such a cool aspect of exchange and I will definitely be keeping in touch and maybe paying them visits later on.
Learning about yourself. I was a bit lost in direction and with myself before I left. So just packing my bags, giving myself a new environment, throwing myself in the deep end. You surprise yourself with what you learn about yourself. Enjoy and embrace that journey
Do you want to share anything about travels you did outside your host city/country?
Super easy to travel on the weekends! Just make sure you leave some time to study and do your readings too. Outside of France, I went to Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland, and I am still backpacking right now, right after my exchange finished!
Final Comments
If you are on the fence, or hesitant, just do it. You will thank yourself later on.
Tags: 2023, Arts/Humanities, Report