weitere Erfahrungsberichte für Frankreich
Land:
Frankreich
Universität:
IDRAC Paris
Semester und Studiengang:
6. Semester Bachelor International Management
Aufenthalt:
wintersemester 2016
Über die Universität:
IDRAC Paris is a private university situated in the 17th arrondissement in an underground carpark. Luckily, for whoever reads this, the uni will be moving to La Défense, the business district just outside of Paris in the West into a new building.
I stayed at IDRAC Paris for two semesters, as part of the Double Degree Programme between the THD and IDRAC Paris. The programme I attended was Business and Marketing. I had 15 courses per semester, each counting for around 2 ECTS and all in French as language of instruction.
Some of the professors were very competent and held interesting lectures, which provided new insights to me and my fellow students. The business school enjoys a good reputation in France and therefore, during the three months of break in January-March, some classmates found very reputable internships. For students coming from THD this internship is not mandatory, but i highly recommend taking the opportunity to dive into the French working environment and deepen language skills.
Betreuung vor Ort:
My experience with the support staff was two-faced. During the first semester, every paper, signature or just verbal clarification needed (and there were many due to me being the first student to attend the French DD with IDRAC Paris) was a pain. The responsible person was under water with too many things to do and too little interest in helping lost international students. This became much better in the second semester with a competent, friendly person to talk to (shoutout to Madame GAROT-SCELIN!). As my fellow student put it so nicely: "There was sometimes a lack of organization and guidelines. This led once in a while to confusion and misunderstandings. I guess it is just a French thing that everything needs a bit more time."
The housing market in Paris can be difficult and IDRAC Paris is no real help. However, there are a number of different websites and Facebook groups to get you started. We initially stayed in a long-term Airbnb and in the second semester found each our own place to live. It helps a lot to answer in proper French and actually being on the ground to visit places. While the rents are some of the highest in Europe, the French CAF (caisse d'allocations familiales) financially supports students and families. Depending on the amount of rent your paying, they can pay up to one third of your rent. The amount depends on your financial situation and the type of flat you live in. The process takes a lot of time and is all-French, but the effort is definitely worth it!
Tipps:
- get a bank account ASAP (nothing works without it: gym, phone contract, CAF)
-> Société générale is easiest for international students
- be prepared to continously have stuff to do during the semester, however: no stressful exam period
- the academic requirements are low, the language French is the only real challenge: if you work hard, you will have excellent grades, because the biggest part of the classmates does the bare minimum to validate the courses
- expect a hard time mingling with the French students, they all have their social cycles already: meet internationals (Erasmus parties), go to meetups, etc. The French know how to enjoy life and are amazing to be around
- buy a Vélib card: for 29€ one-time payment you can use bikes from stations all over Paris for free for the first 30mins. Best way to explore the city