Details

• France
• BaWiSo-23
• Undergraduate
• SoSe 2026
• Time spent at the partner university: 4 months

1. Preparation

- Look for an apartment in advance!!! - I looked at airbnb, since it's a short-time stay and I needed a furnished apartment. I recommend writing private messages to the host and telling about your 5 months long stay and ask for a discount. Worked for me and some friends. - If you wanna safe money, apply to the studenthousing, in advance. - If you want the process to be quick and easy, you can book shared flats with strangers on housing anywhere etc., but its a bit more expensive and you have zero control how your roommates will be. - The location is important. Look for the public connection to the university and city center.

2. Accommodation

I stayed in an airbnb in the eight arrondissement at Saint Lazare. For me this was an ideal location. 1. I was at the university within 20 min, evnethough the university ist outside Paris. I could take the RER E or the L, both going from saint Lazare directly to La Grande Arche. 2. The area is extremely safe and quiet. I had no problems at night going home or feeling uncomftebale. 3. You are everywhere in the city within 15-20 min. You can take metro line 3,12,13 and 14. But you can walk into 4. The neighborhood is extremely beautiful and everything is clean. There are a lot of parcs like Parc Moceau. In the area Europe are not a lot of tourist, which makes it extremely comfortable and not overstimulating.

3. Academic life at host university

Academic Life at Host University: - Chose the intensive track: Mon–Fri, 8am–12pm; gives good daily structure Afternoons free (or sometimes not, depending on the course), good for exploring Paris or weekend trips Campus facilities: - Private university with a huge range of specialized courses, around 2,000 professors, so there's a niche expert for almost anything - Small library - No real mensa, only Cafe Academic Culture / Teaching Style: - Small classes, around 30–40 students per course - One professor, task-based work, plus several reports to hand in afterward - Workload varies a lot by course, some eat up entire afternoons, others are light and this isn't predictable from the syllabus - Teaching style comparable to WU: competent, subject-passionate lecturers - Group work culture isn't very achievement-oriented/ambitious, grades often don't carry much and aren't too seriously - University administration less organized than WU, which leads to occasional misunderstandings or slow/long replies Course Recommendations: - Pick courses based on what actually interests you / what you want out of it, not what looks like least effort, since workload isn't visible from the syllabus. Good opportunity to try something completely new

5. Every day life in the host country

Public Transport & Safety: - Public transport was excellent: fast, frequent, reliable - Metro often crowded, but never had a single negative experience - Lived in a very good, safe neighborhood and had no real safety concerns Social & Leisure Activities / Events: - Lots of going out for drinks, but also plenty of time spent in parks Visited many museums (most are free) - Fashion Week happened twice during my stay, with watch parties to attend - Overall, Huge range of things to do. It's a cool city. - You don't need to speak French to enjoy it. - Many clubs/societies to join, also outside of university Sport Options: - Used Classpass instead of a regular gym membership. For me, worth it since single gym classes/drop-ins are very expensive (approximate 30 per class) - Classes tend to be more demanding than what I was used to in Vienna - Many people join run clubs, good opportunity to meet new people (didn't do this myself)

6. Testimonial

Living in Paris was always a dream of mine, so getting to actually live there made this exchange deeply personal. I found myself appreciating even the small everyday moments simply because I was finally experiencing my own dream. Beyond that, the city itself offered endless possibilities: Fashion Week, countless free museums, beautiful parks, and rich culture and food. Stepping out of my comfort zone and connecting with French locals let me see Paris from a completely different perspective than as just another tourist.