My Exchange at Science Po, Paris
It has always been a goal of mine to have a study abroad experience. The mix of travel, meeting people from all over the world and experiencing life in a different country was an opportunity that I had always set my eye on. Due to my studies and study level, the only option was for me to attend Sciences Po in Paris which was perfect given its reputation and my personal desire to learn French and experience life as a Parisian.
· First Impressions
My first thought upon arriving in the City of Love: “I’m in Paris!”. It was a hot day in this iconic city where the Olympics had just finished but you could still feel the excitement in the air with the Paris 2024 banners in the streets and the Olympic rings at the Eiffel Tower. My first visit at the Sciences Po campus at St Guillaume was just as “pinch-me” as you could feel the history of the institute reflected in its 1800s traditional architecture. It felt more old school than Auckland and there was even security at the door!
- Paris
In Paris, you are always just a street away from a historic landmark. And Sciences Po is right in the heart of the city. While it is the French capital and is certainly as French as it can get, the international scene is also big in terms of the wide variety of cuisines and cultural activities. Everything is in French but most people speak English although it is highly recommended to have some basic understanding of French. The university also has a diverse student body as it attracts different people from around the world with Sciences Po’s connections to top world universities which makes for making international connections easier!
· Accommodation
It is notoriously difficult to find accommodation in Paris as you are competing with tourists, Parisians, expats, and French and international students. I found my accommodation through a co-living website in the 15eme, a 50 minute walk to campus (or a 20 minute metro) where I would walk past the Eiffel Tower, UNESCO and along the Seine. Dreamy! I found co-living to be a great option for short-term housing as it was all-inclusive which meant that I did not have to arrange my own utilities and housing insurance- something that would’ve been challenging do in a language that I wasn’t fluent in!
- Sciences Po
The quality of the courses and the teaching are second to none. Sciences Po offers niche subjects so you can delve quite deeply into each one, giving you a breadth of understanding and differing perspectives. Presentations are a common assessment in the courses- an excellent way to practice our communication and presentation skills which are important in the industry we were in. The professors are experts and well-respected figures in their field, not just in France but in the European Union and they often also hold high positions in governmental and private organisations. For example, we had the opportunity to listen to a Director of the OECD due to her connection with one of our professors.
· Orientation
Sciences Po has a lot of orientation activities and while I was unable to go to the main one at the start of the year, there are still a lot of events happening throughout the early weeks particularly in ‘after works’ which are meet and greets often held in bars. They are a great way to meet new people because everyone is in the same boat wanting to meet new people! It can be daunting in the beginning but it’s worth it. Not being afraid to say hi first goes a long way.
- Classes
My classes started at 1230 and were only from Tuesday to Thursdays which gave plenty of time to explore Paris! Perhaps one reiteration is to be ON TIME for course registrations as the classes really do sell out in minutes! This will likely be in the early hours of the morning in Auckland but it is highly recommended to give you the best chances of getting the classes and the class times that you want.
- Food
Food in Paris is definitely more expensive than Auckland but you can be sure that the quality is excellent. Appreciation of good food is something that I started to do during my time there. A helpful tip is to download the app called TheFork which is a discount app for restaurants and another is that as students you can access Crous cafes across the city which gives you an entrée, main and dessert for €3!
- Highlights
The highlight of my exchange will have to be getting to explore a beautiful city with new friends. You can literally never run out of things to do and every day is different. It could be a day in Disneyland, or a day spent having a picnic at Champs de Mars just watching the Eiffel Tower sparkle. Or breakfast at a terrace and classes in the evening before getting crepes for dinner and watch the sunset by the Seine. Such iconic things that can oddly feel normal because you’re a Parisian!
- Advice for students thinking about going on exchange
The biggest thing I’ve probably taken away from my exchange is gaining a new lens in seeing a problem that you otherwise would not have considered and what you develop and learn about yourself as you step out of your normal environment. For example, my studies in Auckland have predominantly looked at New Zealand and Australia but in France, we were studying the European Union and the USA, which gives so much breadth to your understanding. Additionally, being in a different environment, you learn how to be independent by managing your own day to day living, budgeting, prioritising, time management, problem solving and putting yourself out of your comfort zone and succeeding gives you confidence. I truly believe that I still gained so much more than the amount that I spent in being on exchange.
Q&A
What were some of the highlights of the academic experience at your host university?
Doing an exchange at Sciences Po Paris as a policy student feels like entering the nirvana of political studies. The courses that I took were amazing and the professors were true experts. In addition to your own classes, there are also plenty of special lectures with guests, and a personal highlight was listening to and meeting Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa.
Would you recommend any particular activity/activities unique to your host country or university?
I found that the main method of getting word out about events are through Instagram and WhatsApp. BDE is the biggest student group but there are also groups for faculties, cohorts, exchange groups etc and following these groups on social will be helpful to be aware of what’s happening. If you have the extra capacity for courses/points, Sciences Po also offers classes such as painting, photo journalism or music. Unrelated to political studies but interesting regardless!
What are your top 3 tips for future students attending your host university or going on exchange to your host country?
- Have digital (or physical) copies of all your paperwork! Even the ones that you don’t think you might need eg. Vaccinations, birth certificate, copies of visas and passport, enrolment certificate, insurance and accommodation contracts (if you have them).
- Learn French
- Do your homework and make an effort to write a to-do list before you leave. It will help you to make the most of your experience by being mindful of your time and knowing you’re slowly ticking things off your bucket list! Knowing what events are upcoming also helps you to plan ahead and make sure you don’t miss the ones you really want to go to! For example, I had the opportunity to watch Six60 and the All Blacks in Paris!
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?
I would recommend budgeting about $15000NZD for flights, visas, rent, general expenses, insurance, and some travel. A little bit more helps because Paris can be expensive especially if there is a lot of experiences you want to do. I use the Money Manager app to help track expenses.
What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?
That you will only get however much you put in in terms of effort for yourself, and in others such as being intentional about activities and meeting people. Another thing that I learnt along the way is to let go of the expectation to be friends with those that I met in orientation when in reality I found my closest friends about 2-3 weeks into the semester. In my opinion, you don’t need to know A LOT of people which can be harder to maintain, but that you only need a few that you really get along with to experience the city with.
Do you want to share anything about travels you did outside your host city/country?
I had the opportunity to travel to Oktoberfest in Munich and Strasbourg for the Christmas markets- such awesome experiences. The good thing about Paris is that it is easy access to many different cities through train, buses or short (and cheap!) flights.
Is there any advice you could share about accommodation options at your host university and/or in the local area?
I decided on a co-living accommodation (www.coliving.com) which I would recommend starting to have a look around 1.5 months from arrival. I wouldn’t recommend searching any earlier because they often advertise for immediate move-in but there is no stopping you from doing so knowing that you may have to pay rent in advance and for longer than you are actually living in the rental for. There weren’t many requirements and they only asked for my passport for identity, visa/student status and proof of funds (bank account).
Do you have any advice on what mobile phone apps and/or phone plans that were useful in your host country?
TheFork, Navigo, Citymapper, Wise, Uber, SciencesPo
I had an Orange sim card and I would top up my credit online and had an all-inclusive €20 Euro monthly phone plan which had more than what I needed.
Final Comments
Do it! Though the experience can be different from everyone, I believe the purpose of an exchange is to take you out of your normal environment and push you to learn different things about the world and about yourself. With a positive and intentional attitude, I think you can get the most out of your experience and come back to Auckland with valuable new perspectives and a more open-mind.