Details

• France
• BaWiSo-23
• Undergraduate
• SoSe 2026
• Time spent at the partner university: 5 months

1. Preparation

Start early to search for accommodation because on the Parisian housing market it may take a long time and many declined applications until you find your apartment. Also really read yourself into the syllabus of the IÉSEG to plan your semester. The system with the weekly 2 ECTS courses demands you to choose a large amount of them unless you are picking the semester ones. I travelled to Paris by car and back to my hometown with the bus. I would not say there is any really preferable way to get there and back, because Paris is good to reach with all ways of transportation.

2. Accommodation

Since it's Paris you cannot start early enough to search for accommodation. Try it in every trustworthy way possible and look out for scam. I lived in a student housing one room apartment which was fully fine but rather expensive. Because it was located in La Defense near the IÉSEG it was very favorable for the weekly courses as they start at 8am and nearly always demand 100% attendance. La Defense is a very safe place and is well connected to the center with the M1, RER A/E, T2, etc. although it is not "downtown" Paris (92nd not 75th arrondissement). I would say it is really important to check the public transportation connections from your preferred apartment to spots such as the uni or other important places. Otherwise you will spend a lot of time in the public transportation, especially in the months that are not very favorable for taking the bike.

3. Academic life at host university

Campus Facilities are modern and the academic culture is about participation and collaboration since there is much group work included in nearly every course. Attendance of 100% is mandatory in nearly every course and the teaching style is comparable to smaller classes at WU. Normal class sizes at IÉSEG are 15 to 50 students. Courses that I really liked were "Geopolitics" and "American Culture and Civilization". A Prof recommendation of mine is Jean Patrik Theveny with his very passionate teaching style about his subjects.

5. Every day life in the host country

The public transport system is outstanding. You can get from everywhere to everywhere in good time. Overall it is save, especially if you are spending most of your time in the 75th arrondissement. There are many options to do activities around the city. I would especially suggest the museums since they're free for people whose age is under 27 or something like that. Generally there is almost any day any kind of event so it'll never get boring and everyone should be able to find something for them.

6. Testimonial

Breathtaking, I've never been doing so much in that amount of time. The city itself is stunning but the real joy is beside the famous spots such as the Louvre or Tour Eiffel but in small streets in less crowded arrondissement. If the size is not overwhelming you, you will love it.