Details

• France
• BaWiSo-23
• Undergraduate
• WS 2025
• Time spent at the partner university: 4 months

1. Preparation

Make sure to contact student accommodation providers early enough and pay attention to whether housing is offered directly by HEC or needs to be arranged independently. Also, familiarize yourself with the course selection process early on, as it is quite lengthy and somewhat confusing, involving several rounds and adjustments.

2. Accommodation

HEC does not offer on-campus housing during the winter semester, so students need to arrange accommodation independently. While some students look for private houses or apartments, most exchange students choose to stay either at ECLA in Massy or at Twenty Campus in Jouy-en-Josas. During my exchange, a larger number of students stayed at ECLA, so I would recommend considering this option. Although ECLA is slightly further from HEC, it is closer to Paris, which makes it very convenient. The booking process at ECLA was straightforward and relatively quick.

3. Academic life at host university

In general, class sizes at HEC are smaller compared to WU Vienna, and the teaching style is more interactive. This typically involves more assignments such as presentations, in-class quizzes, submissions, and reports throughout the semester. Overall, however, the workload is comparable to most courses at WU. The campus itself is somewhat older, but it is well equipped and offers a restaurant, a cantine, sports facilities, and even a gym.

5. Every day life in the host country

You need the RER to travel from Massy to HEC as well as into Paris. In general, the RER is reliable and runs frequently. We only experienced occasional strikes, during which public transport was largely shut down. Within Paris itself, the transportation system is also very efficient. In terms of sports, there are many options on campus, and the student residence ECLA also has its own gym. For leisure activities, I would always recommend going into Paris, as there is a wide range of things to do and see. Massy and the area around the HEC campus are generally very safe.

6. Testimonial

Overall, my exchange experience was great. I met many people from all over the world and found it very interesting to experience the academic environment of a French Grande École. The highlight of my stay was definitely exploring Paris, as the city offers an incredible variety of activities, from nightlife, museums, and art to culture and French cuisine. If I could choose my destination again, I would definitely make the same choice, and I can highly recommend spending a semester in Paris.